Following Scorpius Malfoy
by meercat-DR
Summary: A continuation of the "Following Rose Weasley" arc. I've decided that I've grown way too attached to these characters to give them up now. So I've added a new installment, more from Scorpius' perspective. Rated T for course language. Please Review!
1. The Final Departure

Scorpius Malfoy picked up his rucksack and expertly cast an invisible extension charm. He didn't even need to say the spell aloud. After seven years at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, he had been become a bit of a master student when it came to non verbal magic. But of course he had always had a little help from Rose... Glancing around his room, Scorpius began to pick up the items he had set aside to bring with him. He picked his clothes up, which had been neatly folded on his bed and put them in first carefully, trying not to shake the rucksack as he went. If anything toppled in there, he would have to start all over again. He moved systematically through the room as Scorpius had also prided himself in being an organised individual.

Soon his cupboards were stripped bare, the once neatly plastered posters on his walls had been taken down and only their faint outline was left. His books were off their shelves and the things he didn't mean to take with him had been packed away in cardboard boxes and were stored in his trunk. The rug was stored against the wall and the little dust particles from the fabric could be seen floating in the air. Walking over to his dressing table, his basic necessities, toiletries and combs were packed. His emerald green bed was made and the dark heavy curtains had been drawn. He knew that eventually his mother would take those down too and pack them away until he returned. Looking around satisfied, something right next to his bed suddenly caught his eye. Rushing over to it, Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced at the photo frame. Thank Merlin he hadn't left this behind...

He stared at the frame for awhile, carefully inspecting it, it's wooden borders carefully carved with vines and flowers. His mouth twitched as he watched the moving picture within the frame. That was the beauty of being able to use magic, he reminded himself, even the pictures could move. He looked so different then though, even if it had been barely 2 months ago. The picture had been taken beside the lake at Hogwarts. Scorpius had his arm around Rose Weasley, her auburn hair shimmering in the sunlight, her face bright and cheerful and she was hugging him, laughing. For a moment, Scorpius' mind flashed back to the memory.

"Come on Scorp!" Rose teased playfully.

Scorpius groaned.

"No... Please I'd rather not Rose."

"Spoilsport!" pouted Albus.

"Please?" Rose begged.

Scorpius sighed in defeat.

"One race to the lake and that's it." he warned.

Rose nodded.

"Alright. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

Albus cheered.

"I'm betting Rosie's gonna win!" he cheered.

"You wish." snorted Scorpius.

"Wait!" Albus called. "I'll run to the bottom first so I can tell who wins?" he suggested.

"Good idea." Rose agreed.

Albus quickly set off, his camera in tow. Albus had become quite the fan of "capturing memories" lately. He was using his camera to document their last few months as Hogwarts. At first Scorpius hadn't been too thrilled at the idea but after awhile it had grown on him. After all the pictures would represent memories for them to look back on when they had graduated. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Scorpius saw Albus waving at them, indicating that he was ready. Rose steadied herself at the top of the hill, her eyes straight ahead, intent. Scorpius followed her lead.

"Ready!" Albus called.

Scorpius could feel Rose's breath next to his. The adrenaline before any race with her always sent chills through his skin.

"Set!" Albus' voice rang in his ears.

"Go!"

Before Scorpius could process what was happening, he felt Rose take off beside him charging down the hill. Her auburn hair was trailing behind her and she looked like a Stallion or a wild horse, charging down the mountain top. Her experience in Quidditch had served her well and Scorpius could see the tones muscles in her legs as she sprinted ahead. He quickly ran after her.

"So much for going easy on me!" he teased her.

Rose didn't reply but he could hear her laugh as they approached Albus. Scorpius already knew how this would end. He skidded to a halt as they crossed the finish line.

"Rose Wins!" Albus cheered and snapped a picture of them.

The flash made Scorpius blink.

"Al!" Rose whined. "Not when I look like this..."

"Well, I have to try and capture an accurate image of our school life." he shrugged.

"There's no point arguing with you is there?" she asked.

Scorpius who was still panting, trying to regain his breath, laughed.

"You're figuring this out now?" he sounded exasperated.

Rose smiled and collapsed on the grass, Scorpius beside her. Albus had his back turned to them, fiddling with his camera and for a moment, they were alone. This place was special to the both of them. The lake had been where they had finally admitted to one another that they loved each other. Stroking Rose's cheek for a moment, Scorpius realised that he couldn't have picked a better place to tell her. Looking at Rose now, he knew she was thinking the same thing. The swift moment of tenderness passed as Albus turned around.

"Oh come on guys! Not when I'm around..." he groaned.

Rose who was still gazing at Scorpius grinned cheekily.

"Hey it's better for you to know than you to not know right Al?" she asked.

Albus covered his eyes playfully.

"I'm not sure about that..." he called.

Scorpius stood up and helped Rose to her feet.

"You can look again Al!" he called out.

Albus opened his eyes.

"How about a picture for the love birds eh?" he asked.

"I don't see why not?" Scorpius glanced at Rose.

She shrugged.

"Yea I don't mind."

The pair stood formally next to one another and smiled at the camera.

Albus snorted.

"Is that the most romantic you can get?" he asked.

Rose sighed.

"Well you were the one who said..."

"Forget what I said" Albus sighed.

"Well ok." Scorpius shrugged and immediately grabbed Rose by the waist, tickling her.

Rose burst out laughing and began to try and squirm away from Scorpius. Scorpius' arm moved to her shoulder and she wrapped one of her arms around him as the pair continued to giggle. Rose's hair was all over the place and eventually she came to rest her head on Scorpius' shoulder. "Nice." Albus called and steadied his camera. Scorpius tickled Rose one last time and she squealed again in delight just as Albus clicked the button and the camera flashed.

Staring down at the picture, Scorpius could still hear Rose's laugh and gently touched her face as she scrunched it up in the picture, still laughing. Laughter, that was the embodiment of Rose. She was always laughing and she knew how to make you laugh. Carefully, Scorpius placed the frame into his rucksack and sealed it. Getting off his bed, he moved across the room and took one look around. So many memories here. Good and bad ones but all the same... This had been his home for 18 years. Merlin that was a long time. And the room on close inspection, showed it's age. The wooden carvings by the fireplace were faded, the beams a little creaky. The curtains, gold threading had worn away a little and the windows were a tad dusty. But in a way it was nice. The lived in feeling of it all. But now everything was about to change. Summoning his broom and beater bat, which lay in the corner with his trunk, he grabbed them both and swiftly shut the door.

Scorpius' footsteps creaked across the stairway as he head towards to the sitting room. Now that nostalgia no longer occupied his thoughts, a feeling of excitement swelled within him, his heart was racing. He had after all been looking forward to this day for ages. Pushing the large door of the sitting room open, the same room where Rose had first met his mother, Scorpius saw his parents casually sitting around the cold fireplace, waiting for him. Hearing him come in, his mother immediately stood up followed by his father who walked towards him and clapped him on the back. Scorpius smiled at his father who squeezed his shoulder.

"All ready then?" Astoria asked.

Scorpius nodded.

She nodded. "Right" For a moment, Astoria Malfoy seemed unsure of herself.

Draco was the one to take control.

"You better get going. You'd want to make a good impression."

Scorpius breathed deeply.

"You'll be great at the Falmouth Falcons dear." his mother smiled encouragingly.

"And you're a good player." his father reminded him.

"I know you didn't really want me to be a Quidditch Player." Scorpius glanced at him.

Astoria chewed her lip but Draco shrugged.

"I admit that I would have liked you to have gone into something a little more institutional but I can tell nothing will change your mind. Plus why deprive you of something which you excel at?" he asked.

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief. His father, especially after having met Rose, had become a lot easier to talk to. Well she did have that effect on people. Scorpius then decided to forget the usual propriety and hugged his parents. To his surprise neither pulled away i embarrassment as they would have done in the past. Instead they seemed to welcome his embrace and they pulled him closer.

"This is going to be an empty house without you." Astoria was tearing.

"Much too empty." his father commented.

"Well I'll be back for Christmas and holidays." Scorpius assured his parents.

"Make sure that new place of yours is suitable for humans to live in." his mother warned.

Draco chuckled. "Knowing your mother she might just come and check up on you!"

Scorpius smiled. "Why don't you? You could come for a meal once I settle in."

"Knowing you, we could come over tomorrow and everything would be spotless. You always unpacked so fast even as a child." Draco snorted.

Astoria frowned. "And why shouldn't he? I brought the boy up well. My son..." she sighed.

Scorpius glanced at his watch. Now he really had to go.

Draco and Astoria reading his thoughts, took a step back.

"It's not forever." Scorpius reminded his mother who still looked a little lost.

Draco squeezed his wife's shoulder and mouthed a "Don't worry." to his son.

Scorpius nodded. He could understand his mother's perspective. This wasn't just him heading off to Hogwarts for the year. He was actually leaving home. For good. Sure he might come back once in awhile to spend the holidays but this was no longer his home. Not really anyway. The realization sent a pang through his heart. Suddenly there were cries from beyond the room and several figures burst in.

Scorpius' eyes widened as the house elves hurried up to him. Dropping his sack, he bent down to them both and hugged them. They had been his friends as a young boy growing up, had fed him, taught him, washed him. Loved him. They were his family the house elves. Draco and Astoria did not intrude. They recognised the bond the elves had formed with their son over the years.

"Goodbye Master!" they called, some were crying.

Seeing their sorrowful faces, Scorpius felt a wave of sadness engulf him.

"It's not forever dear friends." he smiled, reassuring himself as well as them.

"Take care!"

"Best of luck!"

"Master shall do us proud!" came their voice.

Scorpius kissed each one on the forehead and whispered a goodbye.

Finally, he stepped over to the fireplace which had been purposely washed and kept unused for the day in lieu of his departure. Turning to face them all once again, Scorpius felt the tears sting his eyes. His parents waving, holding each other reassuringly, the house elves, crying, waving, some of the more optimistic ones were laughing. Like Rose, he thought to himself. Just like Rose. And with those thoughts in mind, he grabbed some of the floo powder beside the fireplace and through it into the hearth crying out, "Falmouth Falcon's Stadium!" There was an eruption of loud,green flames that licked at Scorpius' very being. The company quickly turned their eyes away from the light to avoid the glare and when they faced the hearth once more,

he was gone.


	2. Arriving at Falmouth

Scorpius found himself in a dimly lit and dull looking room. Was he in the right place? He had to be, the Falmouth Falcon's seal was plastered clearly on the wall. Why didn't he just apparate from the Manor? It would have been a lot easier... But then of course that would have resulted in possibly breaking his bat or his broom. And being a Quidditch player, a professional one at least, he couldn't afford that. Picking himself up from where he had landed, his eyes began to adjust to the light and he took a closer look around. Mops, brooms, a couple of chairs, there was nothing of real interest in the room. But it was a little dusty, that he could tell. Rubbing his nose, he gathered his things, thankfully his rucksack was still in one piece, and began to feel his way towards the exit. After bumping several things over and possibly breaking something expensive, Scorpius managed to ignore the cringing noises and tumbled out through the doorway.

Quickly shutting it to avoid anything running out after him, he looked at the sign on the door. As he suspected, he had ended up in the janitor's closet. Funny, out of all the places to end up in... But then again janitors got cold too. One would never know when they needed a fire. Maybe that was why he had ended up there, because all the other fireplaces were in use. He just hoped that he would never run into any of the janitors in the near future. Clearing his throat, Scorpius straightened his shirt and trousers and looked around. He was standing at the end of a long hallway. It was bright, filled with light. The light wooden floors seemed to glean and the clean white walls gave a fresh atmosphere. Each door along the corridor had it's own neat label plastered on. On his left were several large glass panes that allowed light to stream in.

Scorpius had to blink a little and squinted. Just beyond the small field outside the windows, stood the clear and confident structure of the Falmouth Falcons Stadium. The team colours of dark grey and white adorned the edges of the stadium. The sight warmed Scorpius' heart. The only issue was now how to get there. Scorpius breathed and began to walk down the corridor. It had been polished and he could his his feet sharply clack on the ground. Just like home, he thought. He didn't know where he was going exactly and for awhile it just seemed like he was going down an endless hallway. He was reading the labels on the doors but none of them seemed to apply to him. Finally he came across a familiar name, "Dressing Room (Male)" Well since he was apart of the team now, he might as well go in and take a look.

Scorpius turned a right to the door and pushed it open. He felt a breeze of cool air as he stepped in. There were lockers, all round the room. Dark grey and white lockers, alternating. There were names on each one, some of those names were names of people he had always dreamed of playing with. His heart began to race. It was only dawning on Scorpius how important this opportunity was to him, how much it meant to his career. As he walked around the circular shaped dressing room, he almost felt like tracing his fingers along the walls. Finally he came to a stop at one particular locker. It was a grey and gleamed with the shine of new paint. On the front, his name. He smiled. His. All his. It felt good. He gently opened the locker. It was empty apart from a small note that was pinned on the side of the locker. Scorpius gently detached it and began to read:

Dear Mr Malfoy,

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on being here today. Your tryouts for this team demonstrated the resilience, persistence, determination, skillfulness and the pure talent that this team requires at this time. It is our honour truly that you decided to accept our offer. I trust that you have begun to settle in so far. If you require any assistance, please feel free to ask, the Falcons are an open community who are always here to help.

On a more administrative note, your first practice session will begin promptly at 12pm this afternoon at the pitch. We trust to see you there on time.

Once again I offer my congratulations and look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Mr Oliver Wood

Scorpius' hands trembled. Mr Wood, a living legend. He had been part of the Griffindor team back in the day, an excellent keeper. He'd gone on to fly with the falcons and now he was their coach. He had written this, to him. It was so exciting he could scarcely breathe. Gently he took the tack and reattached the letter to his locker. This is something he would want to keep for awhile. It was an honour, a true honour. If only Rose could be here, to see him now. How happy he was.

He wondered about her. What was she doing at this moment? Was she thinking about him too? Probably not since she would be so busy. How were her practices going? At the Chudley Cannons. Ah the Cannons. The Cannons had been an all male team for years, losing every year. It was basic knowledge that for ages, they were going nowhere in terms of their true potential. But several years ago, the manager Ragmar Dorkins had opened up the team to female players too and nowadays the team was considered a force to be reckoned with. Rose had been so excited to join them. Especially since they were her father's favourite team. Ronald Weasley had been so pleased. Scorpius chuckled at the thought. Sighing, he found himself slowly sitting down on the bench.

It was hard being away from her. They had always spent so much time with each other. Days and days at Hogwarts to waste away. But now they'd see each other max. once a week? The concept seemed strange to him, foreign. He closed his eyes, rubbing his worn beater bat. His calloused fingers came across a small bump in the bat. Sensing the bump, Scorpius opened his eyes and looked down. There was a carving in the bat. Two simple letter surrounded by a heart, R and S. The memory came flooding back to him as he felt the all too painful lump in his throat...

Rose and Scorpius were by the lake again. Rose was sprawled on the ground, her tangled hair everywhere. She was staring up at the sky, thinking. Scorpius was beside her, swinging his bat and practicing. They had just come from Quidditch practice. Rose's bat was several feet away. It was quiet, only the sound of the water lightly gurgling.

"What do you suppose it'll be like?" Rose asked.

"What?" Scorpius turned to face her.

"Leaving school?"

"I wouldn't know." he smiled.

Rose sat up and stared at him for a moment, her hazel eyes had a look of resolve in them.

"I'm serious." she pushed.

"So am I" he said taking a step towards her.

"I mean, everything's going to change."

"Change is inevitable" Scorpius murmured, quoting his father.

"What if I don't want change. What if I'm fine where we are right now?" she persisted.

Scorpius sighed and sat down beside her.

"Wouldn't we get bored of it eventually Rose? Staying the same always, never changing."

"I suppose." she conceded staring out towards the water.

Scorpius watched her for a moment.

"Are you afraid or something?" he asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe a little. Of losing things."

"Memories?"

"Something like that."

"Wanna elaborate?"

"People can change after school. I mean I've seen it. In my relatives. What if I become this whole other person who I don't wanna be?" she asked him.

Scorpius chuckled and wrapped his arm around her.

"I highly doubt that will happen. Yes people change but not always for the worse."

"I just like stability." Rose explained.

"I know."

Scorpius could see where she was coming from, leaving school and heading out into the world was a frightening thought even for him to come to terms with. Being completely independent after you had been so sheltered for so long... How did people do it?

"Well you can always count on one constant in your life." Scorpius added.

"Yea?" Rose asked, "What's that?"

"Me"

Rose turned to face him and she gave him a smile, a lovely smile.

"I should have seen that coming. Trust you to be so full of yourself." she chuckled.

Scorpius pouted.

"Me being full of myself?" he gasped.

Rose laughed and playfully punched his shoulder.

"You're right though, I can always count on you." she sighed.

"I hope I can do the same with you?" he asked her.

Rose sat up straight.

"Of course you can!"

Scorpius held her close.

"Good"

Just then Rose wriggled out of his arms and reached for his bat.

"What are you doing?" Scorpius asked trying to peer over her shoulder.

Rose did not reply.

"Rosie?" he asked again more urgently.

If Rose was going to physically damage his property, he wasn't going to be too happy about that.

"Shh!" she called back to him and simultaneously whipping out her wand.

Scorpius frowned as she flicked it expertly and pointed it at his bat. Soon he realised that she was writing something down on the bat.

"Wha..." he began until his brain began to process what she was doing.

Rose was using her wand to carve into his bat. She had carved a heart and now was adding two letter, and R and an S. She didn't need to elaborate, they both knew what the letters stood for. Scorpius found himself smiling and relaxing. Finished, Rose put the finishing touches to her handiwork and tucked her wand away. Settling back into his lap, she handed the bat back to him.

"Now you'll always have a constant for me, even when I'm not there." she whispered.

Scorpius gently kissed her head.

"Thank you"

Scorpius touched the carving again. Just then he looked down at his watch and his eyes nearly jumped out of his head. 11.40! He had to be in for practice by 12! How was he going to make it there in time when he didn't know how to get there. Panicking slightly, Scorpius placed his rucksack in his locker and grabbing his beater bat and broom, he began to hurry out of the locker room. Rushing down the hallway, he looked left and right for any possible directions. There were none in sight. Being late for his first practice would not set a good impression, something he wanted to desperately establish. Panting a little from jogging, he felt a mild sweat on his forehead and his heart was racing. Glancing at his watch again, he failed to look where he was going and the next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the ground, his head spinning.

Rubbing his forehead, Scorpius slowly picked himself off the ground. What had he knocked into? Looking up he realised it hadn't been a what but a who. A young woman was opposite him on the ground, still rubbing her temples. Immediately Scorpius hurried over to her and began apologising profusely as she slowly got up. She said nothing but was still wincing from the apparent impact of their collision. However she willingly took his hand as he pulled her to her feet. Looking at her more closely, Scorpius could study her features. She was young. Older than him but barely. Perhaps around 20-21? She had fair, alabaster skin and it glowed slightly. A sharp nose and pale green eyes. She had long and straight blonde hair and a slim figure that reminded Scorpius slightly of Rose's half Veela cousins. She might have been called frightfully beautiful.

"I'm sorry again about that." Scorpius rushed the words. "I'm in a hurry."

The young woman seemed to have regained her powers of speech and calm and shook her head politely as she took in the person in front of her.

"Don't worry about it. I was in a rush too. Trust us to not look where we are going!"

"Yea..." he added.

"Do you need any help?" she offered.

Scorpius shrugged. What harm could it do to ask? Oliver Wood had advised him to ask.

"I'm new" he explained. "I need to get to the stadium."

The young woman's face broke out into a smile.

"You're Scorpius then aren't you? Funny I was just being sent to go and find you! I know the place is a little difficult to navigate" she laughed.

Scorpius ran a hand through his hair, relieved.

"My lucky day then." he smiled.

"Right this way" she began to turn around and Scorpius immediately hurried after her, eager for directions.

"By the way," she called turning around to flash him another one of her increasingly attractive smiles,

"I'm Aurore"


	3. Meeting the Team

Scorpius was unsure about how to behave around Aurore. Her brisk walk was difficult to keep up with and he had a funny feeling that she seemed to have more than just being his acquaintance or friend on her mind. Or maybe he was just overreacting? Don't flatter yourself Scorpius, he chided himself. What would Rose call girls like Aurore? That's right now he remembered, "Stuck up snobs who tried to use physical attractiveness to get their way." Trying to bear his girlfriend's words in mind, he followed after this other girl blindly, not sure if she was really taking him where he had to go. Much to his relief, he finally saw the corridor end and the doors opened to reveal a wide field just in front of them, the same field he had seen from the window. The grass was short and trimmed neatly, giving one the impression that the grounds were well taken care of. Aurore did not slow down for him so he continued to keep up his brisk pace. He glanced around from side to side as they stepped out of the building. Looking up at the building again, he saw it was grey and read, "Team Headquarters" with the team logo proudly displayed on the front and their motto: "Let us win, but if we cannot win, let us break a few heads"

Scorpius smiled a little at the logo. He had seen it many times before, on posters, in the Daily Prophet. Rose said it was mildly sadistic but he thought it fitted very well with the whole Slytherin image. In fact he had wondered on more than one occasion why Oliver Wood of all people had decided to coach such a violent and Slytherin like team. But he was jerked out of his thoughts by a voice behind him.

"Coming Scorpius?" Aurore chirped.

Her voice after awhile was beginning to seem a little too perfect to Scorpius.

He nodded hastily, almost like a kid caught with candy from the candy jar and he turned around to face the stadium once more. His bat and broom were beginning to slow him down and his arms were aching. He swung his head from side to side. The field they were passing through was adorned with sprinklers and he hoped with all his heart that they would not turn on. There were several people standing around, casually chatting with one another. Some of their faces looked familiar to Scorpius but he didn't dare make eye contact. He was in the presence of Quidditch gods. They were all wearing the Falcon uniform and Scorpius felt a little out of place in his trousers. He tried to push the feelings of insecurity to the side.

The stadium loomed in front of him. A powerful structure of steel and concrete. He had to pause for a moment to take it all in. Yes this was really happening, he told himself. He walked through the gates of the stadium, the gates he had passed several times as a youth, coming to watch games with his friends. With Rose. There was more of a spring in his step as he breathed it all in. Literally, his breath was getting deeper. As his foot touched the pitch, a sense of personal pride overwhelmed him. Finally Aurore stopped and turned around. She kindly gave him a moment and then cleared her throat. Scorpius who was still staring, glassy eyed at the rows of seats in the stadium, the colossal bright lights and the three hoops on either side of the pitch, turned around to face her again. Hogwarts Quidditch was peanuts compared to this!

"Mr Wood's over there." she pointed him towards a tall, well built man standing in the middle of the pitch inspecting the ground.

Scorpius nodded.

"Thanks again."

"My pleasure. Sorry if I walked a bit fast. It's a habit of mine."

"Oh don't worry about it." he assured her.

Immediately he rushed over to the man in question. Oliver Wood. He might as well faint. But Scorpius willed himself not to. He would not make a fool of himself. He reached Oliver Wood, panting slightly, Quidditch Pitches were large after all but still full of enthusiasm.

"Hello Sir!" he called.

Oliver Wood looked up. For a moment he seemed unsure of who Scorpius was but then a look of recognition crossed his face and he smiled, getting up.

"Scorpius!" he smiled and dusted his hands before taking Scorpius' to shake it, "Good to see you made it here on time."

"Yea thanks to Aurore" Scorpius added thankfully.

Oliver laughed.

"She's a gem isn't she? One of the assistants here at the stadium. Terribly helpful."

"Couldn't agree more." Scorpius nodded.

Despite her advances towards him, Aurore had been a lifesaver.

"I was just checking the grass, seeing if it needs a trim." Oliver continued. "Here we pride ourselves in being meticulous."

"I can tell." Scorpius replied remembering the neatly pruned field.

"Right, so I see you've brought your gear?" he asked.

Scorpius nodded.

"Yup my bat and broom."

"Good. I like that you came prepared but actually you may not be doing much playing today..." Oliver commented.

"Why not?" Scorpius asked.

Oliver shrugged.

"This session's really for you to get a feel of how the team works and plays together."

Scorpius nodded in understanding.

"We won't start for another 5 minutes or so, so why don't you tell me a bit about yourself? Slytherin weren't you? Back in Hogwarts that is?"

Scorpius laughed. "Yup."

"Make sense then, for you to join this team." Oliver nodded.

"Why'd you join then? Not to be rude but you were a Griffindor player."

Oliver shrugged, "I get that a lot but really I wanted to play with people who have that competitive edge."

"Oh ok. Yea I played since second year. Been a beater all the way."

"You can tell. The way you handle the bat. You're so comfortable with it." Oliver nodded. "Who was your partner then?"

"Rose Weasley" Scorpius smiled.

"Do I detect a smile there? You guys close buddies or..."

Scorpius rubbed his neck a little embarrassed.

"You could say we're close. She's with the Chudley Cannons now."

"Good team." Oliver conceded. "Much better than they used to be anyway. Why didn't she tryout here?"

"Sake of principle. We didn't want a situation where one got in and the other didn't."

"Oh I see. Well It'll be interesting to play against her then for a change?"

Scorpius ears pricked at this. He hadn't really thought about that. What would it be like to play against Rose. They both knew each other's moves at the back of their hand. Would they have to use that knowledge against each other now?

"Yea I guess." he replied, trying to sound calm.

"If she's anything like Fred and George Weasley were like in school, she'll be a strong contender." Oliver laughed, recollecting memories.

"One of the best there is." Scorpius replied genuinely. It was the honest truth. Rose was a fantastic beater.

"Well then," Oliver said as they noticed the other players beginning to walk into the stadium, "I guess you better start teaching the rest of the lads how to beat her when the time comes eh?"

Scorpius couldn't say anything. He forced himself to nod. Right now he couldn't really picture himself teaching people how to beat Rose. Like he'd said, they had always been on the same team. But he pushed the thoughts from his mind and hurried after his coach. The team was congregating in the centre of the field and Scorpius rushed to join them. They were chatting amiably, some smiled at him. He nodded politely. Oliver Wood raised his hand and there was silence.

"Everyone!" he called, "Welcome back and I'd like to say that this year I have high hopes for our team, I expect everyone to be in top form yes?"

"Yes sir!" came the reply.

"Good." Oliver nodded proudly. "And to add to the team this year, I am proud to introduce our latest addition, our beater, Scorpius Malfoy."

Oliver moved aside so everyone could get a good view of their latest teammate.

Scorpius tried not to flinch from all the stares. They weren't unfriendly but he hated being scrutinised

"Hi." he called.

"Hello."

Scorpius' heart stopped beating for a moment as he realised who had greeted him. It was Adrianna Green. Adrianna Green! He worshipped her! The way she flew past the keeper and threw the quaffle into the hoops every single time. Such a skilled chaser! And now, his teammate. He felt lightheaded. Adrianna Green. He knew people like Leo would kill to be in his shoes right now. Or maybe even Albus. He remembered that he'd seen a poster of Adrianna in his friend's bedroom.

"Good to meet you." she stepped forward to shake his hand.

Scorpius was on autopilot now, no longer functioning.

"I expect that we're gonna be working hard together?" Adrianna asked, helping him along.

"Definitely." he nodded hopefully.

The others seemed to take Adrianna's cue and one by one, they began to step forward to introduce themselves. Not that they had to. He knew all their names. But still he relished each moment as they came, smiled and shook his hand, some of the guys clapping his back. It was like they were including him into their family. For someone who had grown up without a large family, it was wonderful. It reminded him of the Weasley Clan. Colin Mcclagen, Kristine Dewsprout, William Horton, Casey Broadmoor, all of them speaking to him now, were pure legends. Some of them, their families had been playing for the team for generations! And now that he was here, Scorpius wanted more than anything to leave the Malfoy mark on the Falcons.

"Oliver says you're really good?" Colin asked.

Scorpius smiled nervously.

"I hope so."

"We're all here to learn from each other, not to worry!" Adrianna smiled.

"I just hope you're here to stay." William mumbled.

Colin shot William a look.

"Will..." he sighed as if they were bringing up a worn out topic.

Scorpius had heard a lot about William Horton. From many people. Good and bad things. First things first, everyone agreed that he was a very young but talented beater only 22 and so naturally he was going to be Scorpius' new partner but it was also common knowledge that he had a bit of a temper and often got into squabbles on the pitch. Still not many people minded, the spectators that is. They found it good entertainment.

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked a little naively.

William shrugged.

"No ill to you man but the last beater we had was really good too and you see what happened to him?"

Scorpius knew who William was talking about. Everyone did.

"Andrew Keitch" he murmured.

William nodded.

The rest of the team stayed suspiciously silent as he began his rant. Even Oliver Wood.

"Yup you guessed it mate. When he showed up everyone cheered, said he was one of the hottest new talents. Plus his family's played for the Falcons for ages too. We expected some strong allegiance. But what after two years? He leaves for Chudley Cannons of all places! Said they were going places, that the Falcons wasn't for him..." he scoffed.

Scorpius knew the story well. It had been in the Prophet and on the wireless last year. A Keitch transferring from the Falcons was something unheard of. The Keitch's had been instrumental in the team's founding, literally Randolph Keitch had been one of the forefather team players and had co invented the braking charm. For one of their own to leave was something of a small disgrace. Small, judging from the team's response, was an understatement. Considering that William was such a strong defended of his team Scorpius could understand why he was so upset though maybe if he had been in William's position, he wouldn't have reacted quite the same way. Looking round at the team as they discussed the matter now, he could tell they had all been a little disappointed in Andrew, though they didn't show it as much as William did. Oliver had pointedly remained silent throughout, they were waiting for Scorpius' response, for him to give a stand.

"Well..." Scorpius began, thinking things over, "I'm here to stay. I know it."

At that point the team swarmed around him once more but this time more willingly, people were cheering and hugging him. They were cheers of acceptance. Oliver was smiling in the background. Scorpius had a funny feeling that what had just happened had been some form of a test, an allegiance test maybe? It seemed silly but that was maybe how these teams functioned. Teammates had to be like family in a way. You had to trust family.

"I'm looking forward to our partnership man." William clapped him on the back again.

"Me too!" Scorpius smiled and he really was

For a moment he forgot he was associating with some of the biggest names in Quidditch. Right now they just seemed like one big happy family. A family he felt, he would be proud to be a part of. Great things were ahead of him, he could feel it. Just then Oliver Wood whipped out a brand new Falmouth Falcons Jersey out of nowhere and the next thing Scorpius knew, it was over his head and on top of his shirt. Now it really looked like he belonged here. A true player in his own right. He forgot about Hogwarts, about his parents, about Rose for a moment as he took it all in, this new sense of allegiance consuming him with the flurry of voices constantly around him, laughing and cheering as they called out,

"Welcome to the team!"


	4. Redecorating Number 17

It was nearly seven in the evening by the time Scorpius was done at the Stadium. Even though he hadn't played, they had had a long session. And he had been expected to watch, diligently. He would after all, be joining them in the next session. The players were hardworking all of them, it was admirable and they were determined. Oliver Wood was a tough and harsh critic when it came to judging his players. But everyone put up a brave front, Scorpius was a little impressed at their neutral reactions. Scorpius also noted and saw clearly the way they played, forward, pushing the other team backward was their main strategy almost like they intimidated competition. They didn't hold back, they were aggressive. If some of the team members were passive, William more than made up for them. He was a one man machine, swinging his bat every 5 seconds. It scared Scorpius and made him thankful to be on William's team. And he felt sorry for their competition this season. It looked like the Falcons were out for blood and were ready to end at the top of the league table this year. He had left his broom and bat back at the locker room, since he wouldn't need it anywhere else. This would allow him to apparate with his little rucksack to his new home.

It sounded strange, living somewhere new for a change. But he forced himself to get used to the idea. His parents had been kind enough to lend him some funds to purchase something adequate to stay in till he could pay them back. And he intended to do so, soon. Scorpius actually liked Falmouth, it was a nice area and he enjoyed the bayside. It reminded him a little of the lake at Hogwarts which had served as a place of great comfort in the past. He had managed to purchase a small little cottage or townhouse if you will, just next to the marina. It wasn't anything flashy but it was good enough for him to start off with. He had some redecorating to do but with some help, he would be able to settle in nicely. Another thing that Scorpius liked about his new home was that it was right in the middle of the magical community in Falmouth. The 3 street perimeter where he lived was populated by magic folk, a small community of daytime fishermen but still, magic folk and just down the road, there was a neat little portkey that led straight to Diagon Alley. A five minute walk away was London's equivalent of the "Leakey Cauldron" and many of his teammates stayed nearby as well. So yes, Scorpius was content with his living situation.

Apparating from the team locker room, after tidying up, Scorpius felt the usual queasy feeling in his stomach as the wind and air whipped past him, the scene blurring. He had to stabilize himself as he landed. He was on the street right in front of his home. Several people turned around in interest to see who had just arrived but quickly went back to their business. Scorpius turned to face the marina and saw little boats bobbing on the water. The sun had just set and it was twilight. The light glow on the water made him smile a little. Sighing with contentment, he turned to face his home. Number 17, this was it. He crossed the street and walked up the cobbled steps. Looking up at the slightly worn structure before him, Scorpius examined it a little more carefully. The paint in some areas was worn and the roof could do with the wash but it didn't look half as bad as he had expected it to be. Rummaging in his rucksack, Scorpius pulled out a tin key. With a feeling of importance swelling within him, he fitted it in the lock and turned the doorknob.

Stepping into his house Scorpius immediately threw his coat off and switched on the lights. He could see the furniture he had sent over about a week ago, hastily left about. The lights were all installed and cleaned so there was a nice warm glow to the house. The wall phones were installed and all ready to go. White sheets covered some of the walls and parts of windows and there was a sterile smell to the place. Placing his things down, Scorpius shut the door and took a look around. The sitting area was relatively large, his two settees were there with the armchairs. The fireplace looked warm and cheery and there were two large windows that would let the light in during the day. Walking back to the front of the house, Scorpius passed the stairs and headed to the kitchen. There was a small dining area and an open area to cook. A stove, oven and microwave (wonderful muggle invention) were all installed and ready for use. The yellow colour scheme wasn't quite to his liking but he would change that. There was a storage area for laundry and cleaning devices and the bathroom was in the back, a sink, bathtub... yes everything was in order.

Heading upstairs, Scorpius counted how many rooms there were. One master bedroom, a guest bedroom and a bathroom. Yes this would do. In the master bedroom, he found the mahogany bed his mother had ordered for him along with his desk which had been moved with his new furniture. Much to his relief, his personal effects had been safely transported. The master bedroom had a window that overlooked the street and the marina. A lovely view. Scorpius passed through another adequate bathroom that connected the two bedrooms together. The spare bedroom had a less grand looking bed but Scorpius did admit that it looked comfortable. His parents had really gone above and beyond... He would have to repay them and very very soon.

Sighing Scorpius collapsed on the guest bed and thought for a moment, what to do. He was exhausted but he couldn't sleep just like this. He had work to do. Resigned, he got up and hurried down the stairs. Removing his wand from his rucksack, Scorpius' mouth twitched. He head first to the sitting area. With a flick, the chairs and furniture arranged themselves the way he wanted them. The coffee table was placed perfectly in the middle and the emerald rug that had been hidden at the side, promptly unrolled itself. He quickly got rid of the white sheets and dusted off the floor and windows. Redecorating was easy when you had magic. There were now pictures on the wall, of the Malfoy family. The floor was now a shiny dark brown and new green curtains hung from the windows. Just for the fun of it, he lit the fireplace. Pointing to his rucksack, Scorpius muttered something and several mantlepiece items flew out and landed promptly above the hearth.

Next he turned his attention to the entrance of his home. He dusted the cobwebs with expert flicks of his wand off the stairs, scrubbing them new. He added another new rug at the entrance and a small umbrella stand. He also moved into place a new shoe cabinet. Next was the kitchen and dining area. He rearrange the dining area, shifting the furniture to fit just below the warm kitchen light. He created a small seating window area just in the front with cushions so one could sit and look out at the marina at breakfast. The colour of the cushions were of course, green. With a swish of his wand, the yellow wallpaper was gone and a more neutral beige replaced it. More pictures were added, this time of the countryside and the bay. Scorpius added a wall clock and several cabinets overhead. He cleaned the dust of the floor and wiped the windows. Satisfied, he continued. The storage area didn't need much work, he simply arranged the brooms, mops and washing machines and dryers to fit the space. He added another wall clock.

On to the bathroom, he gave the tub a blast of cold water to clear it out, washed the sink and scrubbed the floors. Another small picture just to add colour. Grabbing his rucksack and heading up the stairs, Scorpius added a small shelf on the stairway as he went. With a wave some pictures from his rucksack, childhood pictures flew out and took their place. A rug unfurled onto the landing to give more colour. At the top of the stairs, Scorpius head for the guest bedroom. The cupboard was sanitized, hangers were placed inside. The bed was dusted, sheets quickly aired. More pictures. Scorpius liked the colour. A small desk and bedside table with a lamp was moved into place. There was a computer and some notepads with pens. Moving to the next bathroom, Scorpius almost repeated the same thing he had done downstairs. With a flick, his toiletries from his rucksack flew out and onto the shelves above the sink and beside the bathtubs. Scorpius added a small floor towel by the bathtub. He always made a mess, getting out the shower.

Finally he had made his way to the master bedroom. The cupboard was cleaned and he quickly placed his clothes in it. He dusted his bed, aired the sheets, arranged the items on his desk, hung the posters on the wall, added some new curtains and changed the blue wallpaper to green. Finally once everything was finished, he summoned the final items from his bag, an alarm clock and the photograph of Rose and him. Sighing with content, he placed them beside his bed. Exhausted, he collapsed on the bed. His wand was feebly laid beside him. Scorpius felt like he had been drained of magic for a moment. He had never used quite so much in one go. It was exhausting. But what else could he expect really? Looking at the phone on the wall, Scorpius decided a call was in order.

Making his way over to the phone, he dialed a number he would never forget. It rang several times before anyone answered.

"Mum?" Scorpius asked.

"Darling!" Astoria seemed to be smiling through the phone. "How are you?"

"Fine." Scorpius rubbed his temples. "Tired."

"I bet you are. Everything alright?"

"Yea practice was fantastic and I'm really excited."

"That's good dear. When's you're next session?"

"Well tomorrow's the weekend, so I get the next two days off and then I start proper. I'd thought I'd see the town, sight see or something?"

"Yea that's a good idea. How's your new place?"

Scorpius laughed.

"It's fine. I just re decorated the whole place in 3 hours!"

"I told you so!" Scorpius could hear his father's voice in the background.

"So sue me dad!" he laughed.

"Don't stress out about it though..." his mother warned.

Scorpius shrugged.

"I'm not I just wanted to get it done. Now I feel pretty content. All I have to do tomorrow is wash the roof, give the outside some new paint and maybe start some gardening?"

"That's a fine thought." Draco was now on the phone. "You gardening."

Scorpius chuckled, "I'm not so bad at it, Rose taught me."

"Well then, you'll be so darn brilliant at it!" his father joked.

"Do you like it there though dear?" he mother pushed.

"Yea I really like it. It's so calm and peaceful. I think I'll fit in here just fine. Thanks for everything guys I really appreciate it."

Scorpius emphasised his last sentence.

"Don't you worry son. We're here for you. You ever need anything..."

"But dad you've really gone above and beyond, you didn't have to."

"Nonsense!" his mother shouted through the line. Scorpius imagined his father cringing. "We have to spend the money somewhere right?"

He laughed a little.

"Yea but not all on me. Makes me feel guilty. I am gonna pay you guys back. All of it."

"As long as you come back and take care of us when we're old and unwanted, just love us like we've loved you. It's all we ask for. We know you're a good boy, Scorp. Even if we didn't ask you'd pay us back but you understand that the money doesn't matter right?" his father murmured.

Scorpius nodded.

"I understand but still..."

"Yes we know. You still want to pay us as a matter of principle. That's our boy!" his mother cheered.

"I miss you already!" Scorpius called.

"We miss you too dear." Astoria replied.

"You better get some rest Scorpius. You must be beat." his father pointed out.

Astoria seemed to clear her throat.

"Quite right dear, you better rest. Tomorrow's another big day yes?"

"Yes." Scorpius agreed. "I love you."

"We love you too dear." his mother replied. "Goodnight Scorp"

"Goodnight" he sighed and with that he hung up the phone.

As he recalled what had just happened, the conversation he had just had, Scorpius realised something. About his parents. How different his parents were nowadays... So open and loving as compared to when he was younger, they were always so stone cold and harsh. Less open about their feelings. They would have never said "I love you" on the phone in any normal circumstances. Even his father, opening up like that over the phone, being so tender with him. It wasn't heard of at all! Maybe it was because they were feeling his absence or with age came heightened emotions. But no matter what it was that was keeping this behaviour up, Scorpius didn't care. He didn't want it any other way. He liked this new relationship the three of them seemed to have. The maintenance of it was his parents' and his responsibility, a responsibility they had so far up kept but really the credit of helping them get to this point in the first place went to Rose. She had been the one to break through to his parents, had helped them to see their son, truly see him for what he was and she had helped them to understand what he needed. Open affection. Out of all the things Rose had done for him, this was probably the most important. It made him love her all the more because her actions were so selfless. But really he couldn't think or reflect about anything beyond that. He was just so exhausted, mentally. The next thing he knew, his head had hit the pillow and without any magical assistance, he was fast asleep.


	5. Surprise Visitors

Scorpius woke up with a mild ache in his shoulder. It was throbbing but he didn't know why. Maybe he had fallen asleep on the wrong side yesterday? Groaning and dragging himself out of bed, he made his way for the bathroom. Trying out his utilities for the first time, Scorpius was glad to see the hot water supply was working as he immersed himself into a relaxing bath. He shut his eyes for a moment as he let the steam swirl around him and let the heat cloud his thoughts. After a considerable time, he realised his fingers had gone prune-like, a good indication that it was time to leave the steam paradise. He grabbed his towel and climbed out of the tub, draining it quickly. He brushed his teeth, gargled and washed his face agin. Drying himself, he picked out an outfit for the day, a casual tee and shorts. Ruffling his hair and checking his appearance in the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction and head down the stairs.

Entering the kitchen, Scorpius smiled as he saw the light streaming in. The boats in dock looked adorable and Scorpius had the urge to pick them up like toy ships and rock them back and forth. He scanned the cupboard for anything to eat. The fridge had already been stocked when he arrived and he had brought some loaves of bread with him. Deciding to apply the use of his new toaster, Scorpius prepared some toast with butter and made his way to the dining area to have breakfast. He was about to eat when he remembered something. Hurrying to his doorstep, he opened the door and found the muggle newspaper waiting for him. Smiling, he picked it up. Tapping it with his wand and muttering a charm, the paper began to morph and the next thing he knew, he was staring at the daily prophet. Hiding charms were handy because then people didn't have to worry about delivering the daily prophet to muggles. Wizards could simply transfigure the paper if they needed to. Scorpius figured someone in the newspaper business in Falmouth was a wizard. Either way it was terribly clever of them, whoever's idea it was.

Paper in hand, he settled down at the table. The headlines were not of any particular interest. "Gringotts opens another outlet", "New Broom Model to hit the skies soon!", "Why save when you can spend it on...". There was only one section of the paper that Scorpius was pretty excited to take a look at. Flipping to the sports section, he stared down at the Quidditch page and his smile broadened. There it was stated boldly in gold, "New Season invites new talent!" and beside the headlines were all the pictures of the newly signed players. His picture was there, along with Rose's. And right below the images was a blurb, stating their name, position and the team they would be playing for. "Mr Scorpius Malfoy: beater; Falmouth Falcons" His mother would be proud for sure. Scorpius could imagine her already trying to frame it up somewhere.

Astoria Malfoy had been anticipating her son's Quidditch career to take off. She had already allocated a whole wall in the manor for future newspaper cutouts and certificates for her son. Draco hadn't stopped her which indicated that he shared her sentiments. At first Scorpius had been reluctant, but after awhile he thought to himself, "Why not?" He had talent for sure and he was in a good team, should there be any reason for him not to become a star? The exciting prospects sent a tingle down his spine. In fact these last two days, Scorpius had become less of the confident and brooding individual people knew him as but more like an enthusiastic schoolboy ready for anything the world threw at him.

Finishing off his breakfast, Scorpius hastily washed up and rearranged his chair. Placing the paper in the newspaper holder, he wondered what he should do next. His plans from the night before struck him. Heading outside, wand in hand, Scorpius readied himself for a bit more renovation. Outside the sun shone brightly and people, wizards who worked muggle day jobs or wizards on their way to work, were already out and about. The nodded politely as the passed Scorpius' property. Scorpius returned the nod and continued with his work. Staring at the house, he paused for a moment before flicking his wand. Immediately a jet of water was unleashed from the wand tip and began to spray the roof of the house. Scorpius could see the dirt washing away and running off into the drain. Finally satisfied that he had hit every bit of the roof, Scorpius turned his attention to the walls. The paint was chipping in some places but he liked the sandy colour it had. So he simply filled out the holes with his wand.

He glanced at the cobblestone steps leading to the house. They looked worn.

"I better replace them." Scorpius thought.

With a flick, the stones were gone and new ones had taken their place. Everything else seemed to be in order, the door and windows looked presentable. Scorpius was about to start on the gardening, when he heard someone behind him. Turning around, Scorpius saw it was an elderly lady, she must have been in her late 60s, with a cane hobbling towards him. Her hair was greying and her wrinkled face looked worn but she wore a pleasant smile and had a pink cardigan wrapped around her grey dress.

"Hello?" Scorpius studied her.

"Hello there. That's some neat tricks you got with your wand, fixing the place up. I wish I had known how to do that back in the day." she smiled at him.

Scorpius laughed.

"Well I could always teach you."

"Maybe you could" she paused. "How rude of me dear, I meant to introduce myself. I'm Muriel Thistlewech. I live next door with my husband Eddie."

"It's nice to meet you." Scorpius reached to take her hand.

Muriel reciprocated and they shook hands.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy. Just moved as you can tell."

Muriel nodded before a thought seemed to strike her.

"Ah you're the Quidditch player in the news then! For the Falcons am I right? Eddie saw you get here round 7 yesterday. Swore it was you next door when we saw the papers. Either way I told him I better come and saw hello. And it turns out it is you!" she chuckled.

Scorpius raised his arms on top of his head.

"Guilty as charged!" he shook his head.

Muriel chuckled.

"But really the real reason I came over here apart from saying hello, was to invite you over. Once you get settled in dear you must come and visit. Eddie is the biggest fan of the Falcons. And you know he's getting on in years, lonely I suppose. He could use with some fresh company."

Scorpius smiled sadly. He always sympathized with people like that, who no longer were quite as energized and enthusiastic. It must feel terrible to be in that state, he had thought to himself. He just hoped that he would never end up like that.

"Of course I'll come over." he assured. "It's the least I can do for you being so welcoming. And while I'm there I can help fix up anything you need?" he offered.

Muriel's cheerful smile broadened.

"Yes that would be lovely dear but really I haven't been that hospitable, didn't even bring you anything for a housewarming gift! I promise I'll be round tomorrow for that!"

Scorpius shook his head.

"No you really don't have to. I meant welcoming in the sense that at least I know someone around here. By the way, which one are you at? Number 16 or 18?"

"We're on you're left." Muriel replied. "16."

"Ok great I'll try stopping by on tomorrow for tea or something?" he suggested.

Muriel nodded. "Yes that'll be fine. Bring your appetite and come, I'm quite the baker if I do say so myself!"

Scorpius laughed. In many ways, Muriel reminded him of Rose's grandmother, Molly Weasley. They were both so jolly, full of spunk and ready to go. They had something worth living for in the sense.

"Of course I will. I'm sure it'll be wonderful. Thank you again for the invitation and the welcome." he smiled.

Muriel waved him off.

"It's a bit of a tradition for me, trying to get to know everyone in the neighborhood. Sorry Eddie couldn't come with me though. He can't really walk about that much."

"Not to worry" he assured her.

There was a comfortable pause before Muriel continued.

"Well then I'll be off. I can see you're still working on a couple of things. I'll see you tomorrow then. Scorpius was it?"

"That's right." he nodded "It was a pleasure meeting you Muriel."

"Oh no, the pleasure was all mine." she smiled warmly and totted off towards her home.

Watching her go, Scorpius admitted her wouldn't have minded having her as a grandmother. She seemed fun. In her youth maybe she would have been more, like Rose, reckless and a go-getter. And since he was going to try and be as good a neighbor as he could, he would help her out any way he could. After all, they were elderly, someone had to look out for them. Maybe he could take Eddie, when he met him, to one of the Falcon sessions? Or get him tickets to a game? He might enjoy that... The ideas were swirling about in his head. The reason being because now that he had met Muriel, the incident seemed to have given him a sudden burst of confidence. Perhaps it was because now that he knew at least one person, he didn't feel quite so awkward anymore. It wasn't as if people were unfriendly here, for the most part, they smiled at him and they seemed like a relaxed magical community but of course it was hard to be reasonable, clear thinking and logical when you were on your own for the very first time, living without your parents.

So with a new spring in his step, Scorpius went about with his next task. Gardening. He hadn't done it in awhile. Rose had taught him, back at the burrow. It had been an interesting experience to say the least. The actual gardening wasn't so difficult. JUst planting seeds in the ground and providing them with enough moisture. Scorpius had asked Rose why not just use magic. She had replied:

"It wouldn't be as meaningful as compared to when you nurture something and help it grow. In this case, magic might now be the best way."

Yes it required more work but Scorpius understood the reasoning behind her point. The objective was to take care of something, like a cat or a dog or even something like an owl. So here he went. He hurried inside his storage area where he kept some of his tools like a shovel and a rake. He had also bought some seeds forehand from a muggle store. Learning how to use muggle money and interacting in a muggle store itself had been half the challenge really.

Returning outside, Scorpius followed the muggle instructions. Picking up the rake, he tried to remember how Rose had taught him. He always for some strange strange reason pushed the rake forward instead of backwards. Correcting himself, he began to move the rake backwards, gently sifting through the soil as he went, checking for any worms, or anything unpleasant that might potentially affect the growth of his plants. Spotting nothing, he picked up the seeds and just as Rose had taught him, began to place them in the soil with significant spacing between them. Once that was done, he took the shovel and began to heap soil on top of the seeds. It was tiring work and Scorpius was sweating. But it was occupational, he didn't feel bored doing it. Once the planting and shoveling was done on either sides of the house, the right and left, Scorpius pulled out his wand once more and sent gentle jets of water towards the freshly tilled soil, so the seeds would get some moisture. He also murmured a silent spell in his head, a growth enhancement spell.

Yes he knew very well that Rose had said it would be more meaningful if he didn't. But honestly, Scorpius could not trust him own capabilities of gardening. It would be a huge embarrassment on his part if nothing grew from his efforts. He had to show his parents something when they came, especially his father. Chuckling to himself, Scorpius finished watering the ground and began to head over to pick up his tools to head back inside. But just as he was about to head back up the stairs, he heard a clear but light voice chuckle behind him:

"Now that's something you don't see everyday. Scorpius Malfoy gardening."

Scorpius stopped dead in his tracks at the voice. That well known voice. For a moment he wondered if he had heard right. He tried to convince himself, as he still stood stationary that it wasn't who he thought it was, that maybe it was Muriel again back with her promised housewarming gift. Maybe the sun had gotten to him, he might need a cold drink or something to cool off. Was he having a temperature? He shut his eyes in confusion as his head spun. He didn't dare turn to see who it was lest he disappoint himself again. But then the voice spoke up again, this time less humorous and more concerned.

"Scorp, aren't you gonna say hi?"

Scorpius exhaled slowly as he heard the nickname. Now he had no doubt in his mind who it was. She was here. She had made it. She was at his house for Merlin's sake! How had she managed to get here so fast? The questions and thoughts were never ending but for now, they were the least of his concerns. Dropping his gardening tools and turning around, he faced her. There she was, standing at the gate, her arms were folded and her legs were crossed. She was leaning on the gate and her face was lined with concern that was quickly turning to relief and she was beginning to smile, the corners of her mouth curling upwards She was wearing a casual orange blouse and a beige pair of shorts and the auburn locks were uncommonly swept back into a light ponytail. Scorpius robotically found himself moving towards her, like he was floating on air and she in turn, uncrossed her arms and hurried towards him. Reaching her, Scorpius felt like nothing could be more perfect than this. He didn't know why he was getting so emotional, they had seen each other barely a month before but maybe it was something about being here, in a new environment, with her. It marked something, a new start not just for his career and their individual lives but a new and fresh start between the two of them, their relationship as well.

Cupping her face in his hands gently with light tears streaming down his face, Scorpius breathed.

"Rose"


	6. In Rosy Company

Scorpius shook his head in amazement as he saw her before him. It was like Rose had never left him, not really. She had just been missing. Rose gently raised her lips to his cheek and kissed it. She smiled at his reassuringly. The next thing Scorpius knew, they were in a tight hug. The hug slowly loosened until they were just holding each other, standing there. It was so easy to just spend the day like that.

"How long have you been here?" Scorpius asked as the finally broke apart.

Rose shrugged.

"Since 9. I walked around a bit before coming round here."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows.

"Didn't you have things to do back at Chudley, settling in?"

Rose laughed.

"Yea I finished. I told you I only bought an apartment, not a whole house like yours. Weasley's like us can't afford to each buy a house when we move out. I also did a lot of my redecorating before yesterday, my family came over and helped. They were gems really. Now I owe them all a big favour but the point is that, naturally I had less to do..."

Scorpius nodded his head, recalling one of their previous conversations.

"Thanks for the visit though Rose, it was a lovely surprise."

Rose waved it off in her usual cheerful way.

"What are friends for right?" she asked.

Scorpius raised his eyebrow at the term "friends"

Rose noted this and laughed playfully.

Scorpius knew she was just teasing him.

"But I can tell you've been very productive." Rose changed the subject as she nodded in approval looking past him, at the house.

Scorpius turned to face it as well and smiled. He had to admit, his handiwork didn't look too bad. For a guy at least.

"I spent all of last night fixing up the inside and then today I started on the outside. I think I'm about done."

"Good for you!" Rose cheered. "Mind if I come in and take a look then?"

Scorpius nodded quickly.

"Sure of course, this way." he ushered her.

Along the way, he picked up the gardening tools and then opened the door for her. Rose obediently trailed after him. Scorpius paused by the doorway as he waited for her reaction. Rose didn't say a word by simply walked into the sitting room, beginning her assessment. After a pause she moved to the the kitchen and the back. Finally she walked back to the front where Scorpius was still standing, waiting. For a moment she considered going to look upstairs but thinking against it and remembering her manners, Rose then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and chuckled,

"I wouldn't mind living here Scorp."

Scorpius laughed at her reaction for a moment. She looked like a child asking a parent for a stuffed animal. Still shaking his head, he began to move to the back to replace his tools.

"Seriously though" Rose commented as she sat by the window seat, "It's so wonderfully open and bright. So calming."

"Which is why I live here Rosie." Scorpius smiled, returning to the kitchen.

"Lucky you." she murmured, almost a little spitefully. Scorpius decided it was his imagination.

"Enough about me then, how about you?" he asked. He was curious to see how she was getting on.

Rose sighed lying down on the window seat, thinking.

"Fine enough. The first practice session I didn't get to do anything though. Observation time." she explained.

Scorpius shrugged as he sat down on one of the dining chairs opposite her.

"Same here."

"Really?" she asked. "Well I can't say I complained. It was a little scary to watch them. Hogwarts Quidditch was like baby steps when you compare things." she seemed to echo his thoughts.

"They were a little more than scary in my case." Scorpius shivered.

Rose shook her head.

"You should know, you're playing with Horton right?"

Scorpius nodded.

"And you're gonna play with Keitch"

Rose chewed her lip in response. She suddenly seemed to be torn about something, her eyes looked slightly glazed. Scorpius was about to ask her what was wrong but the expression passed and he decided against it. She was probably just trying to phrase her thoughts in her head.

"He's a talented player alright. Very nimble, difficult to catch. He's erm very... friendly, willing to teach me things which is good I suppose. Anyway, I know you're team hates him now." She lightened her tone at her last comment.

Scorpius laughed recalling his little test.

"Hate is an understatement really."

Rose's eyes widened as Scorpius proceeded to relate the events of Friday's team introduction to her. He decided not to tell her about the incident with Aurore though, he figured that might just end in a conflict between them, something he didn't want right now.

"That Horton sounds like one hardcore guy." she murmured. "Be careful."

Scorpius rubbed his forehead. "I will be"

"It'll be fun to play you guys for a change." she added.

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yea Coach Wood mentioned that. I don't know. Do you feel odd playing against me for a change?"

Rose thought about this for a moment.

"Maybe a little." she reflected "But that's our job right?"

"I suppose." he was resigned.

"Hey" she said sitting up, noting the change in his voice, "I won't be out for your blood when we play against each other. It's just something you gotta do you know?"

He pursed his lips but smiled at her.

"I know."

"These cushions are very comfortable by the way." Rose chuckled, lightening the mood.

"Thanks" came his reply.

"But everyone's been great at Chudley." she assured him "The team and my neighbours too, you don't have to worry about me!" she added.

Scorpius thought of Muriel and was glad that Rose was making friends too. Of course Rose had always been able to take care of herself, even in school.

"How are your folks dealing with you leaving?" he asked.

Rose sighed.

"Dad's taking it harder than mum but you know, it'll get better. I miss them so much." She stressed the last sentence as she gazed out of the window. Scorpius nodded. He could certainly understand. Rose came from a big family. Being away from a clan as lively as the Weasleys or the Potters could be challenging.

"By the way," Rose asked flipping the subject again, "I've been meaning to ask you, since Falmouth isn't a completely magical town, how do you apparate in and out within people noticing you?"

Scorpius nodded. "Well there's a shield they set up so muggles can't see what's really going on inside this little area. They think that we're all fishing and stuff but on the other end of the shield, we could be having another wizarding war and they wouldn't know about it!" he chuckled.

Scorpius then went on to explain the system of the newspaper, the port key and how close-knit everyone was. In many ways this place was really growing on Scorpius, even as he explained about it to Rose. It seemed to become more and more attractive and it also seemed to be rubbing off on Rose. Scorpius could clearly tell because he could hear her sigh with, what was that? Longing, as she listened.

"I like it here you know Scorp. Very much" she murmured.

"You should move." he suggested.

She paused, as if she was actually considering what he said but then shook her head.

"I can't. It's hardly practical There aren't any apartments here just cottages so how would I afford it and how would I travel everyday from Falmouth to Chudley? It would be tedious."

"You could stay with me. I have a guest room." he encouraged playfully.

Again that pause. But Rose folded her arms.

"No it wouldn't be appropriate. And for me to impose on you like that, really."

Scorpius shrugged in defeat.

"Well I did try." he smiled at her.

"Thanks anyway." Rose nodded. "But you know it's like that muggle saying, the grass is greener on the other side. You might like it better in Chudley..." The way she said it made it sound like she was reassuring herself not Scorpius. But again, he chose to overlook this.

"Which is why," Scorpius joked, "I am never visiting you!"

"Fine by me." Rose retorted back.

"How about a walk about the town then?" he suggested. "I haven't really seen much of it myself." he added.

Rose nodded, excited. Any negative energy that she might have had a little earlier was gone. "She probably just needs to get out and have a walk" Scorpius reasoned. If there was something remotely serious going on with her, or any issue she needed to deal with, she would have told him about it. But if there wasn't anything behind her occasional bouts of seriousness and he asked her about it, her fiery temper would probably get the better of her. Not a good move as he firmly decided against questioning anything.

"Yes I didn't get that good a look around either. We can be each other's guides."

Resolved, the pair rose from their seats and began to leave. Scorpius remembered to bring his wand, which he slipped into his pocket and locked the door behind him. And with that, they were off.

As they walked down the cobblestone path, Scorpius glanced at the ground and noticed small little shoots already emerging. He smiled to himself. The power of magic. Unfortunately, Rose seemed to notice them too and chuckled,

"I should have known it was too good to be true. Growth enhancement spell?" she asked

Scorpius nodded.

Rose playfully punched his shoulder.

"You cheater!"

The pair linked arms as they strolled down the street. Even though it was around midday, the sun wasn't that hot, there was a light and relaxing breeze and Scorpius could get just the faintest whiff of fish. Seagulls circled overhead and children were running in the street. Rose watched them play and she smiled. She let Scorpius direct her course even though he knew as little about the place as she did. Everyone was smiling her, she thought to herself. Chudley was very much an industrialized area compared to Falmouth. Comparing the two, Chudley was filled with apartments, tall buildings, a lot like Manchester (a pure muggle town). But Rose figured she could get used to a place like this, where people took things easy and the pace was slow. It would be almost criminal to live her, she realised.

Of course her pleasure was somewhat attributed to the fact that she was here, with Scorpius. She missed him when she was in Chudley. A lot. She had expected it to get better with time, especially after school had ended but really, it seemed to just get worse and worse. Rose thought about Scorpius often. His laugh, how he made her laugh. His kind eyes and loving smile. She hoped that Scorpius thought as much about her as she did about him...

Rose was jolted out of her thoughts as Scorpius suddenly swung her left. They had been walking comfortably down his street and they had nearly reached the end. Rose knew if they walked further, they would cross into the muggle side of the town, so she kept her distance. Following Scorpius left, Rose found they were walking further into the little magical community. Signs of magic were a little more obvious here, as compared to Scorpius' street which, being more exposed (facing the marina and all), seemed a little more cautious. Rose didn't blame them. Even if there was a shield to protect the community, one couldn't be too careful. And judging from the residents of the street, they all seemed well into their 50's, hence a heightened sense of passivity. Scorpius was really an oddball there.

As opposed to the residents here, further in, who seemed to be much younger, many of them families with young children. The street was lined with houses. Women were beginning to air laundry but of course the laundry didn't hang on stands, it levitated. A small group of children were learning how to fly on brooms. One of them whizzed right past Rose and she quickly ducked to avoid any possible collision. Scorpius chuckled and they continued on. Some teenagers, obviously home for the weekend, were trading Quidditch World Cup cards. A man sitting on the edge of the road, had a cup in his hand, magically directing the liquid to stir within, using just his finger.

Such an obvious presence of magic reminded Rose of being at the Burrow where almost everything was touched by magic. Her grandparents had always been proud of their "pure magic" environment so objects moving, clothes knitting themselves, dinner being prepared by the pots and pans and flying mops was nothing new to Rose.

"Where are we going?" she asked Scorpius as they began to reach the other end of the street. He was beginning to show some purpose in his walk and seemed to have gotten hold of his bearings.

Scorpius pointed straight ahead to a little corner, swinging them right as they went along. As Rose glanced around, she realised they had wandered into the hub of the magical community in Falmouth. There were about 5 small buildings that faced each other, creating a bit of a village circle. In the middle there stood a small wishing well, with a bucket at it's foot. On close inspection, Rose realised they were stores. The scene was beginning to remind her a bit of Hogsmeade. They were all basic necessity stores, one that was selling magical equipment. From the display signs, Rose could tell it sold brooms, trunks and capes. Another was selling local potions. Right beside it was a fresh produce store that also doubled up as a restaurant. There was a small bar, which Rose remembering what Scorpius had told her, was Falmouth's equivalent of the leaky cauldron and she could see it offered lodging as well. And then much to her surprise, a Gringott's outlet. For a small town, this place had all the basic magical necessities to keep it's occupants happy. She was impressed.

"How convenient!" Rose remarked.

Scorpius nodded in agreement.

"I told you to move."

"What a lovely wishing well." Rose made her way over to it, choosing to ignore his comment. But why is the bucket here?" she reached to pick it up but Scorpius quickly stopped her.

"That's the port-key Rose." he indicated.

Rose blinked down at the bucket and then up at him again.

"Right" she commented after a pause, feeling a little foolish. Of course it had been the port-key!

"So you've been here before then? You seem to know where you were going?" Rose asked, prodding him.

Scorpius smiled. "I came down with my parents just to check out the town centre when we were buying my place. I had a rough idea of where to go, so as soon as we were approaching the corner, I kind of recognised the path and was able to backtrack my steps. I actually thought we were going to get lost but we didn't!"

Rose laughed.

"It's because I'm good luck." she told him seriously.

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Come on, a drink." he pulled her hand as they head for the bar.

Scorpius pushed the door of the bar open and they waltzed in. Literally, Scorpius waltzed her through the entrance. Amazingly, Rose suffered no head injuries and managed to catch the name of the bar, "Falmouth's Friend" An appropriate title when people are drunk, Rose agreed. Scorpius spun her around once more before they settled at a cozy booth in the corner. A middle aged and balding man approached them with a pen and pad. He had a small little beard and mustache to match and a large belly.

"Can I take your order folks?" he asked politely.

Rose still gasping from laughing so hard, pointed to Scorpius to order.

Scorpius nodded,

"Ah two butter beers?" he asked.

The man quickly scribbled the order down.

"That's all?" he asked again.

"For now" Scorpius replied.

"Sure" he smiled and moved off.

Rose leaned back in the booth, which was surprisingly comfortable, decorated in a dark leather. On the walls were pictures of famous wizards at the bar and several images of the Falmouth Falcons, along with their crest and motto. It was a lovely atmosphere and Rose could hear soft music playing in the background. A couple of other people were in the bar, probably for a lazy afternoon drink. There was another couple opposite them by the window and two men were chatting comfortably at the the butterbeer tap.

"I still think the motto's creepy" Rose protested, still harping on the Falcons' motto.

Scorpius shrugged.

"You're entitled to you're opinion"

"Seriously? Going down without a fight?" she asked him.

He shook his head.

"I guess. Because even though it's pretty powerful and sounds a heck of a lot like Slytherin, I kind of agree with you..."

Just then the barman returned with their drinks.

"Here you go!" he smiled at them both. "Haven't seen you around here before." he added after a pause.

Scorpius looked up.

"We're new here. Just moved."

"Ah... Well good to meet you folks, I'm Tim." the man wiped his hands on his apron and shook their hands.

"A pleasure, Tim" Rose smiled.

"So are you two starting out here then?" he asked. "Falmouth's a good place for new couples I reckon."

Scorpius' eyes widened.

"Of no! I mean we're dating, we're not married or anything."

Tim quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

"Oops! Sorry about that, that's my main fault that is. I always jump to conclusions."

Rose kindly waved him off, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Don't worry about it Tim."

"So which one of you's the Falmouth resident?" Tim continued

Scorpius raised his hand and Rose chuckled.

"Yea it's him." she replied.

"Well I'm hoping to see you here more often. Come and watch the Falcons matches with us. The place is always packed when they're on. The boys and I are always up for a good butt kicking when it comes to Quidditch. I'm a big fan so I always screen the matches as much as possible. The Falcons are the best aren't they? I got all their league title victories up here on my wall! I bet this year they'll take it again. I trust your a good Quidditch fan? I mean who isn't?" Tim winked at Scorpius.

Scorpius nodded.

"Oh yea definitely. No, I'll be there."

Tim stood up straight again, content with his reply. "Well then. I better get going, leave you two to your drinks." he smiled a last time and walked off.

Once he was out of earshot, Rose burst into a fit of giggles.

Scorpius leaned over the table and smacked her arm.

"Stop it! You're being mean." he whispered.

Rose covered her face, still laughing, arousing a bit of attention from the couple by the window but she ignored them, gasping out,

"Imagine what he'll do if he finds out you play for the Falcons?"


	7. Tea with the Thistlewechs

Scorpius had been sad to see Rose go. But she had her own obligations back in Chudley. Though it had been fun to see her get more and more animated over the course of the day and by the time she left, Scorpius suspected that she was a tad tipsy. But Rose had insisted that she could make it back via apparition on her own and so he decided again to let things slide. He still wondered though, what had made her so thoughtful and subdued when he had discussed Quidditch and Chudley? Perhaps Rose was homesick and she didn't want to admit it to him. He could empathise. Scorpius wouldn't want anyone to know that he might be having second thoughts or regrets about anything. The both of them were strong personalities, they valued their pride and both hated to be wrong about anything. Scorpius once more convinced himself that if Rose really was upset about something, she would tell him and till then, he should assume that what she was going through was a minor adjustment phase.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he realised he had to prioritize. He was supposed to see Muriel and her husband Eddie today for tea. Which was just half an hour away. Scorpius had been trying to figure out what to wear. Rose had suggested a couple of outfits before she had left the previous day but he couldn't decisively choose any of them. There was a smart casual pants and shirt, a t shift and 3 quarter pants or a shirt with casual pants. If only people could just go out in the pajamas he imagined... At least he knew what he would be bringing for them. That had been a challenge as well at first but Rose had sorted things out. They had decided not to bring food so finally Scorpius was ordered to purchase a book from the small town centre. It was a beautiful book, the one they had decided on. It was called, "Falmouth, history through images." The book told the development of the town through old photographs and watercolour landscapes. Scorpius was nearly tempted to buy a copy for himself. Together Rose and him had wrapped the gift and set it ready on the kitchen table.

Now looking at the time, Scorpius decided it was time to get going and finally he decided to go with the shirt and casual pants. Looking at his reflection, he imagined what the outing would be like for him. He had never really been friends or at least friendly with people out of his generation group. Socialising with Muriel and Eddie would be interesting.

Heading out of his house with his present tucked under his arm, Scorpius walked down the front path. He chuckled as he saw the plants he had planted the day before. They were already fully sprouted and one could see little buds beginning to appear. He took a left turn and opened the gate to number 16. Walking up the path, he could see that Muriel invested a lot of her time in her garden. There were huge rose bushes, with begonias and violets. There was also a small water feature tucked in the corner against the flowers. Two sun chairs were propped up against the wall in anticipation of a sunny afternoon. Scorpius walked up the front steps and politely pressed the doorbell. He could hear voiced inside and the shuffling of feet before the door was opened by a beaming Muriel.

She was a pretty floral dress that went to her knees and her hair was swept up in a bun.

"Ah Scorpius you're just on time!" she smiled warmly.

"Thank you I was worried I was a little late." he nodded in reply.

Muriel shook her head.

"Not at all, do come in." she gestured him into the house and shut the door behind her.

Scorpius politely took a step inside. Muriel took his coat from him, it had been a little nippy outside and he took a quick look around. The Thistlewech's home bore a slightly different layout from him. They had knocked down the dividing walls and the front of the house was a large open space. The staircase was not in the middle but at the left side of the house. To the right was a sprawling parlor and Scorpius could see a toasty fire going in the fireplace. The room was dim, not dark and had a lived in atmosphere to it. Towards the back of the home, Scorpius could see a dining table and the kitchen.

"Welcome to our humble abode!" Muriel chirped. "Eddie will be around in a moment, he's just getting the tea going. Won't you take a seat?" she asked.

Scorpius nodded quickly and walked over to the large settee before the fireplace.

"By the way, before I forget, I brought this for you." he smiled, pulling out his gift.

Muriel shook her head in surprise as she took it from him.

"You didn't have to bring anything dear..." she assured him

"No but I wanted to." he insisted.

Muriel smiled, touching the wrapped paper.

"Well it was very thoughtful of you, thank you."

She gently placed the gift on a coffee table.

"I'll be back in a second with Eddie and the tea. Make yourself at home."

Scorpius watched her as she trotted off to the back. He walked slowly back to the fireplace where he saw several pictures atop of it. He could recognise Muriel in almost all of them. Her face had aged but her features had remained the same. There was a man that kept appearing in the pictures beside her. He was tall, dark brown hair and dark eyes. He wore a pair of spectacles and he had a pleasant smile. Scorpius assumed this was Eddie. He saw the couple with a young girl in many of the pictures, perhaps their daughter? Scorpius had little time to think this over when he heard Muriel re-emerge from the kitchen. She was carrying the tea and the same man in the photographs was behind her. His face was worn, his hair was grey now and he walked with the aid of a stick but he was still the same person. Scorpius nodded politely at him and he reciprocated. Muriel set the tea down.

"Scorpius this is my husband Eddie. Eddie, you know Scorpius."

"Nice to meet you sir." Scorpius extended his hand.

"No the pleasure's mine." Eddie responded. "Great to have new folk around this neighborhood. Lumping too many Gerrys together is a bad idea for everyone." he chuckled.

"Ed..." Muriel sighed, exasperated.

Scorpius laughed.

"Well I'm certainly glad to be here. I'm really looking forward to playing with the team."

"I bet you are." Eddie nodded. "cracking team they are."

"Tea?" Muriel offered Scorpius a cup.

"Thank you." he smiled as he took it and the three of them sat down.

"So I hear your a fan of the Falcons?" Scorpius asked Eddie.

"Been a fan since the beginning. Even when I was a young lad. Was terribly upset when Keitch left you know. Thought they'd never find a replacement. But based on what the papers say about you, I think we've got a pretty good deal!" he chuckled.

Scorpius smiled modestly.

"Thanks but I think I still have a lot to learn." he commented.

Eddie raised his tea cup.

"True that is but you'll learn fast I reckon. That Horton will see to that."

Scorpius felt a lump in his throat being reminded of Horton.

"Let me know if he really is as mean as they say he is." Eddie winked obliviously.

"I'm sure he can't be that bad..." Scorpius nodded, trying to comfort more himself than Eddie.

"Did you always like playing Scorpius?" Muriel asked.

He nodded.

"Pretty much. I loved flying so the game came pretty naturally."

"Well I hope you stick with the Falcons for a long while yet." she smiled.

They sighed and there was pause as they sipped their tea. Muriel had also brought out some tea cakes which Scorpius had helped himself to. Muriel had been right. She was quite the baker. These cakes were delicious and so was the tea! He felt a little piggish gorging the food but Eddie and Muriel seemed to have hearty appetites as well so this lessened his guilt.

"It's nice having a young person around us again." Muriel remarked.

"Do you have any children?" Scorpius asked, thinking of the young girl in the photographs.

"We had a daughter." Eddie murmured, setting down his tea.

Scorpius caught note of the word, had. He blinked for a second.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know." he murmured.

Muriel waved her hand.

"It's not your fault. We had a lovely daughter. Joy was her name. She was the world to us you know. Doted on us, made us feel spoiled. She was so bright, more intelligent than us put together. She was a straight As student. Would have made any parent proud. She graduated and became a writer. She wrote columns for the paper. I would frame them up, until there were too many to count. She would get embarrassed and scold me but I'd laugh it off. She even got married. Had two little girls. Sarah and Emily."

Eddie sighed. Scorpius could see his eyes were misted up and he was biting his lip.

"Oh Joy was our whole existence."

"What happened?" Scorpius asked curious.

"She got sick." Muriel whispered. "Apparently not even magic can rid a tumor. We nursed her. I had to watch my baby die in front of me..." her voice cracked.

Scorpius set down his tea and immediately withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket which he handed to Muriel. She gratefully accepted it and blew her nose.

"It happened so quickly I couldn't quite believe it." Muriel continued after a pause.

"Nobody could." Eddie sighed.

"That wasn't the worst of it either. That husband of hers, he took the children, they moved out of Falmouth. Said he couldn't bear being around the place. Completely cut us off from the children, we don't even know where they are anymore. We understood why he was upset, why he wanted to leave but they were our grandchildren. We didn't just lose Joy, we lost them too. I don't think we'll ever see them again." Muriel cried. She was now crying openly, with tears streaming down her face. Eddie was sobbing slightly as well. Scorpius felt so helpless looking at the two of them. Poor things. They had lost their only child and then, this.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. It's my fault..." Scorpius shook his head.

"You would have found out sooner or later. Best to hear it from us." Eddie reassured him.

"Still..." he sighed.

For what seemed like an hour there was a hushed silence as the couple dried their tears.

"We should be over crying by now. "Muriel shook her head in embarrassment. "It's been 5 years now. But I suppose we never really discuss it openly. We always hoped the pain would just... leave."

"Obviously not." Eddie muttered.

Scorpius gently placed his shoulder on Muriel.

"It's good for you. To get it out. At least you make it clear how you feel. Don't bottle it up."

"Yes, yes you're absolutely right." Muriel nodded.

"I suppose seeing you, you remind us of her. Full of life, ambition and pride in what you do." Eddie smiled at him.

"Joy always was proud of herself." Muriel added.

Scorpius could only nod.

"Look at us!" Muriel got up suddenly. "Crying like children when we have a guest!"

"No, no please I'm fine." Scorpius insisted getting up.

"No really, I mean how inhospitable of us! You must think we're rather pathetic?" she asked.

Scorpius frowned and shook his head.

"I think to the contrary how brave you are. You've suffered so much pain in your life but yet you don't let that weigh you down. You try to be optimistic. No, I have a great deal of respect for you." he stressed his words.

"We thought this was going to be a pleasant tea about us talking on Quidditch and the weather." Eddie chuckled.

"We can still talk about that." Scorpius shrugged his shoulders. "And I can tell you a little about my family in return."

Muriel smiled as she looked at Eddie.

"I think we'd like that very much."

"Good." Scorpius sat down once more. "Thank you, for sharing that with me though. Even if you didn't intend to at first, it was very brave of you."

"Thank you for listening." Eddie replied.

"More tea!" Muriel laughed as she picked up the pot. Scorpius nodded and glanced at the couple. Their eyes were dry again and there was a new glow in their eyes now. Anyone who said old folks were boring was sorely mistaken, he decided. Somehow as the threesome sat around the fire, talking about Scorpius' school days and how he had grown up, he knew for sure in his mind that Muriel and Eddie were going to be true gems in terms of friends and that there would definitely be more afternoons like this one. Scorpius felt at home with them and comforted by their sincerity.

By the time tea was over and it was time for him to head back, Scorpius wished with all his heart that he was a possessor of a time turner.


	8. Flying with the Falcons

Scorpius had a light spring in his step as he walked for the second time through the gates and into the stadium of the Falmouth Falcons. He already saw some of his new teammates hanging around the pitch, some were in the air, warming up, others were chatting cheerfully with one another. Scorpius saw a dark shadow pass over his and he looked up. He breathed heavily as William Horton swooped down from the sky and landed elegantly in front of him. Scorpius gripped his broom and bat in anticipation of what he was about to say.

"Morning." William called cheerfully.

Scorpius breathed out, relaxing. Relax, he told himself. He's only human.

"Hi." he replied.

"Looking forward to practice today?" he asked.

"Absolutely." Scorpius nodded.

William smiled. "Fantastic. I have some moves I wanna show you today but first, we'll have to see what you've got."

Scorpius was about to answer when he heard a loud whistle at the end of the pitch. Oliver Wood was standing with his clipboard and pen, glancing around at his team, which was still scattered across the pitch. Scorpius saw him gesture for them to approach him and without a word, William and him immediately set off in that direction. The other players seemed to notice this as well and instinctively they all stopped whatever they were doing and obeyed the coach. That was rule number 1, Scorpius knew for a fact. Obey and respect the coach. Rule number 2, listen to and back up your teammates. They were no negotiable these rules and anyone who did disobey them suffered the wrath of the whole team. Something Scorpius was not keen to experience any time soon. Every was silent as Oliver Wood did a quick headcount. Scorpius caught Adrianna's eye and she gave him a smile. Scorpius smiled back, albeit hesitantly.

Satisfied, Oliver Wood looked at his team, ready to address them.

"We have a big season ahead of us." he called out. "There have been numerous changes and we all need to step it up and bring our A game. This is not the time for complacency. I expect your 100% commitment every session. If you're not prepared to give it, don't bother to show up." he remarked seriously.

Most of the team nodded this off casually. This was normal for them. But for Scorpius, he drank in every word. He was going to follow Wood's instructions to the the T. Oliver Wood continued.

"Now, today we're just going to get back into the swing of things. We'll do a few rounds about the stadium, them I want you guys split up and we'll play a mini game. What I'm looking for today: agility, alertness and speed. A lot of team bought new players in the transfer window. New players means new blood, new energy and better speed. We have to compete to keep on top. Also, it's obviously Scorpius' first session in the air with us so I want everyone to look out for him. Horton, I expect you to show him any ropes."

He eyed William who nodded immediately. He then turned his attention to Scorpius.

"Don't worry Scorpius we'll go easy for today." he smiled.

The rest of the team chuckled a little while Scorpius gulped.

"Alright then," Oliver Wood glanced at his watch, "Up you go!"

Scorpius had barely processed this instruction when he felt the rest of his teammates zoom upwards in the air around him. Quickly trying to join them, he mounted his broom and soared into the sky, bat in hand. He noticed that the team was doing laps around the stadium, getting the adrenaline going and the blood flowing. He rushed to join them, trailing at the end. They were fast. Going at probably their fastest speeds, Scorpius found he had to constantly lean forward to catch up with them. They must have done about 10 rounds about the stadium when finally, Scorpius heard the distant whistle of his coach from the ground below. He took this as a cue and followed the rest of the team as the turned and began to plunge once more towards the earth. Scorpius could feel the wind whipping against his ears, his eyes squinting despite the goggles on his face. His hair was windswept and his hands, gripped his bat and broom. It felt good to be flying again... The team stopped just before they hit the ground and Scorpius too, screeched to a halt. they hovered just above the ground, waiting for further instructions.

Oliver nodded his head with approval.

"Good. Looks like you're all ready to go. Nice to see you could keep up Scorpius."

Scorpius nodded as the rest of the team gazed at him in approval.

"Now" Oliver looked at his clipboard, "Two sides. I want, Adrianna, Scorpius, Colin, Kristine and Casey on one team. Everyone else, you're on the other. Scorpius and William stay as beaters. The rest can decide on a seeker, chaser and keeper for your team. Quickly now!" he called.

Scorpius flew over to where his mini team was gathering.

"What now?" he asked.

"This is sort of a mini competition. You challenge yourself to play against your own team. know their weaknesses and you know how to back them up." Colin explained.

"I'll be the keeper this time." Adrianna remarked.

"Yes this is a good example. Ad's usually a chaser but by playing a keeper, she sees things from another perspective. It makes her a better player." Casey continued.

"I'll be seeker then." Colin smiled.

"I guess we're the chasers!" Casey sighed smugly, glancing at Kristine who laughed.

"This will be fun." Adrianna chuckled lightly.

"Everyone ready?" Oliver called.

The teams turned to face their coach who was now carrying a heavy box, where in Scorpius knew, lay the quaffle, the bludgers and the all precious snitch.

"Yes coach!" they called in response.

"Good" he smiled, setting the box down.

"Remember, the objective is not to win but to see things from a new perspective." he reminded them.

"William doesn't believe in that philosophy. He'll be out to win." Kristine whispered to Scorpius who glanced over at William. Kristine was right. His teeth were gritted and Scorpius could see sweat trickling down his face. This would not end very well if he didn't play things safe.

"A clean game from all of you now." Oliver glanced at William as if sensing Scorpius' fears.

William didn't bat an eyelid.

"Ready..." the teams leant forward, having taken their positions at the pitch.

Scorpius glanced down at his bat, the initials R and S seemed to be bolder than ever, screaming at him. "I can do this." he reminded himself. "I can do this."

"Go!" shouted the coach and with a flurry of movements the balls were in the air.

Scorpius caught a brief look at the snitch before it fluttered away again. He saw the bludgers next and quickly zoomed out of the way, looking for a better position to hit them. The players zoomed across the pitch, heading in different directions. Scorpius saw Kristine get past the defense as she flew straight for the hoops, easily tossing the quaffle in. She was followed quickly by Casey. Scorpius had to remind himself that he was playing, not watching. Turning his attention back to the bludgers, one was coming his way. But who to hit it at? Just then he saw Jonathan Riller, heading towards Adrianna, with a determined look on his face. The quaffle rested confidently under his arm. Thinking fast, Scorpius swung his bat and the bludger flew towards him. It missed him just by an inch but it was enough for him to lose his focus and drop the quaffle.

"Go Scorpius!"

Colin cheered as he zoomed past with Victor Trupher both of them intent on getting the snitch. Scorpius smiled for a moment before getting his thoughts back into the game. The next few minutes for Scorpius was a blur. William Horton was competitive but he wasn't brutal like people made him out to be. He did have a killer swing and sometimes he looked like he was in a complete rage but he made sure never to angle the bludgers so that people would get hit. Scorpius observed him as he had been instructed to, the trajectories of his swings, the force he used, how long he waited before he took the shot. It was impressive, very impressive. All of them were.

Scorpius himself had to keep reminding himself they weren't his opponents. After what seemed like forever with the points drawn at 80-90, Victor caught the snitch. It had been a close call, Colin had almost got it but it was just snatched out of reach Scorpius had smiled, a little disappointed as the opposing side cheered at their win. After helping the team to gather the bludgers and the quaffle, he slowly flew over to meet up with Casey and Kristine who also looked a little down. Suddenly, he felt a warm shoulder on his hand.

"Not to worry Scorpius. You did a cracking job. But someone had to win." Adrianna smiled.

Scorpius nodded slightly and shrugged.

"Yea well we'll get em next time." he replied.

Adrianna laughed and slapped his back once more.

"There's the fighting spirit we like to see!" she chuckled.

"Sorry about that guys."

Colin had flown over to his other teammates who were hovering above the ground.

"It was a good game Colin. Couldn't have asked for anything else." Casey assured him.

"Yes we all did good." Kristine joined in.

"You were fantastic Scorpius!" Colin turned his attention to him.

Scorpius smiled.

"Well let's hope I stay this way." he replied.

Just then Oliver's whistle sounded and the two teams turned around and merged together to form one solid group once more. They waited patiently as the coach hastily scribbled down some notes for later reference.

"Some excellent work out there today from all of you!" he called.

"Now don't be too disheartened if you didn't win. That's why we have practices like this so losing isn't an option when it comes to the real thing."

The team nodded in agreement.

"I'm quite impressed with Scorpius today. He managed to keep up with everyone and I think he came up with some fine moves when the situation called for it. I think everyone agrees with me?" he added.

There were general murmurs of approval, nods, smiles and Scorpius could see the sides of William's mouth twitch.

"Do you think he'll make a decent partner Will?" Oliver asked.

William glanced at Scorpius for a moment. In that instant, he was a blank slate, his expression unreadable. The he turned back to his coach once more.

"Think he'll make a cracking partner coach! Of course once I've trained him up a little." he called.

The team burst out into agreement, thumping Scorpius on the back and giving him the thumbs up. He had passed test number 2. He quietly wondered how many of these he would have to go through.

Oliver smiled. "Excellent. I like it when my team likes each other. There really were some great moments from you Scorpius and I could see you watching. As long as you keep up the proactive attitude, you're going to go far..." he reassured him.

Scorpius' heart swelled at the idea. Him, he could go far? They were the magic words he always wanted to hear from someone as renowned as Oliver Wood. This was just the boost he needed. If they thought they had seen all of him today, they were wrong. He was going to show them, just what he was capable of. He would be the best player for the Falcons, ever! His mother and father would be so proud. And what would Rose think as well? She would probably say, "I told you so" he thought to himself, chuckling.

"Go far?" Jonathan's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "That's an understatement. Did you see how he got me to drop the quaffle?"

"Yea I did!" Adrianna laughed. "He was awesome."

"Scorpius is awesome!" Casey called.

"We are awesome." William playfully corrected her.

"We are awesome!" The team called.

Oliver laughed and shook his head.

"That's enough with you. To the locker rooms. Be fresh and ready for tomorrow."

And with that, he turned with the box containing the Quidditch balls and slowly walked of the pitch. The team watched him go and then surrounded Scorpius once more, some slinging their arms around him, others pulling his hand, trying to chat with him. It was like he was a new toy with them. They adored him. The feeling made Scorpius feel good. Like he was really wanted and needed. He just hoped the this treatment would last. As they passed under the shadow of the headquarters, entering the cool and chilled hallways, Colin nudged Scorpius playfully as the girls head of to their changing rooms whilst the boys took the left to their rooms.

"So" he asked Scorpius. "How do you like flying with the falcons?"

"Fantastic" came the immediate reply.


	9. Unwanted Attention

Rose smiled as she watched a familiar owl swoop towards her bedroom window. She had been writing in her diary but she had a feeling that this letter about to reach her would be a much better use of her time. She was sprawled on her bed, it's emerald green sheets crumpled from the night's sleep. She was tired, it was Saturday but the day's previous practice session had left her sore and relatively unable to move. Hence the lethargic day and mood. Slowly she set down her quill and paper and leaned forward to open the window. Her bed was right beside the pane and from there she could get a relatively good view of the entire city. Well it was no Falmouth; that was sure. Chudley was an industrial city so there wasn't exactly a lot of natural greenery. The frequent smell of dust and roadworks often forced her to keep the windows firmly shut. She coughed a little as she opened it now, a gust of air rushing into the room. Athena flapped her wings and landed steadily on the ledge. Despite her getting on in age, the family owl had remained a trusted message deliverer for Rose. Really there was no other owl she would trust. She truly loved Athena, with her nicely arched beak, her large dark eyes and her wonderfully brown and dappled feathers. Every Hogwarts letter she ever delivered back home had been sent through the same beloved owl.

"Hello there dear." She reached to stroke the bird affectionately and detached the letter from her leg.

Athena ruffled her feathers uncomfortably and perched on the sill. Rose sighed, feeling a little sorry for her. Perhaps it was a little cruel for her to have brought her to Chudley with her.. There was no doubting the bird's loyalty, she would go wherever she was instructed to, but after a lifetime at the Burrow with all the fresh air and greenery, Rose knew that a life in Chudley did not suit her well. She ushered Athena into the room so she could quickly shut the window. Slamming the pane, Rose chewed her lip. If only Scorpius came to visit. Then he would know how lucky he was. She hadn't wanted to make a big deal out the of the whole situation when she had gone over, after all she had been a guest but it was getting unbearable. Rubbing her forehead, she watched as Athena comfortably settled herself back into her cage and closed her eyes.

"Maybe we can send you back to the Burrow tomorrow?" Rose spoke to the owl.

Athena did not response.

"Or not..." Rose muttered

"Hooo." came the response.

Rose shook her head and then turned her attention to the letter in her hand. The handwriting was the same, elegant and typically Scorpius, as always. It was in green ink. Rose saw her name and address on the front. She gently stroked the lettering. To think, that they had to resort to writing letters to each other! There used to be a time when they could spend almost every moment with each other. The whole situation was so foreign to Rose. She grabbed a letter opener and efficiently, removed the letter from it's envelope. She walked over to her desk where Athena's cage was set down and switched on a reading lamp. Leaning back in the chair, she began to read.

"My Dearest Rose,

Training is getting tougher. Wood's pushing us to gear us up for the oncoming season and I'm worried I can't meet the expectations he has for me. I know what you're going to say, that I should believe in myself. This is just me being pessimistic really. It's great to hear that practice is challenging but good for you too. I know what you mean about the dive practices. I'm always afraid that I'll miscalculate and hit the ground. I think the more you do them though, the easier it gets. Especially when you do them with your fellow beater. I think it boosts morale. Speaking of partners, I hope Keitch is working well with you compared to Horton and myself. He's a good player, really but he's keeping me on my toes the whole time, I can't really trust him. Maybe he's trying to teach me something I don't know. He pulls these weird tricks all the time, just when I think I know him, I don't know what he'll do next at all! It's not like how I flew so easily with you, how I could sense your next move. But maybe that was a bad thing? Oh I don't know...

Anyway, I'll be heading home tonight for the weekend to see my folks. My mom's been nagging for ages and I think you're right about the whole family thing, just let them have their way you know? Plus I don't mind heading back. I quite miss them. You should come too if you can, my dad will be pleased. Another chess match perhaps... Let me know will you?

All my love,

Scorp"

Rose gently folded the letter and glanced about the room thinking. She smiled at the idea of another chess game with Draco Malfoy but the letter reminded her with another pang about life without Scorpius by her side all the time. He sounded so busy, so self sufficient, like he didn't need her. He probably didn't. Rose didn't show it but she needed Scorpius, to be around to support her. There was a hole without him. She didn't want to come across as the desperado sort of girl, he needed his space but there was always that nagging thought at the back of her head that kept telling her that one day Scorpius would just drop her like a hot brick and move on with his life. What made her, Rose, so special compared to all those other girls who were probably throwing themselves at him. And then on course he had reminded unintentionally of course but all the same, he had reminded her all too well of Keitch... Andrew Keitch.

Closing her eyes at the memory, Rose reflected now that maybe it hadn't been for the best when she had decided not to tell Scorpius about her first encounter with her fellow beater. She had strongly considered it when she had visited him in Falmouth for the first time. Rose had been in her element there, the big open windows, the great scenery, the sound of the waves and then Scorpius right beside her. She had had the strongest desire to tell him all about Keitch and how he scared her. How she scared herself. She had wanted to tell him again, just how dusty it was in Chudley, how claustrophobic and how no amount of spring cleaning could change that. How her neighbors only nodded at her when they bumped into each other and never actually made eye contact or spoke. But he had been happy. Scorpius had looked so happy. How could she saddle him with her problems?

And while she would never admit it to herself, it had also Rose's stubborn streak at work. She had always been strong willed in situations like these so this was no exception. How could she admit to him that she was struggling, that she couldn't handle things on her own? She liked to be able to say with confidence that she could cope. But leaving her family was a much bigger step than she had previously anticipated it to be. Now that she couldn't retract her decision, she also couldn't admit to herself or to anyone else that she may have made a mistake. What a big mistake...

Rose had been the first one to show up for practice. It was morning about 7.30 when the faint sound of cars was less pronounced. Rose took in a deep breath. Some of the cleanest air was in the morning. Mounting her broom, she took to the sky, letting her arm stretch out and glide along the air. More deep breaths. The last few weeks had been tough settling in but now that she was in the air, she felt safe, comfortable. She accelerated, letting her troubles fade away as she watched the world literally go by. Slowly she felt her eyes slide shut. Subconsciously she told herself it was a bad idea. She didn't know the course like Hogwarts. She couldn't fly blind. But she just needed to feel the wind whip her face, really feel it. After a pause she opened her eyes.

"Shit." Rose muttered to herself

As she saw herself heading directly for the audience stands at full speed. Trying to turn the broom around, Rose jerked too hard on her left and suddenly she felt the comfort of the broom around her legs slip away as she fell to the ground, the broom slamming into the stands without her. Screaming wasn't going to solve anything, she knew. She had fallen enough times to know what to do. Calmly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand. She glanced down and momentarily panicked as the ground got closer. She had been flying at some altitude... But quickly she steadied herself and prepared to utter a net charm below. Just as she twirled her wand though, she felt herself stop in midair. Cautiously Rose felt the space under her. No net. Someone was levitating her. Slowly she willed herself to look down. A male figure was standing directly below her, his brows furrowed in concentration as his wand pointed accusingly towards her. Rose felt herself being lowered bit by bit onto the ground. Sighing she tucked her wand away and waited till her feet touched the ground. So she got a bit of a shock when she landed straight into the stranger's arms.

"Oof!" she cried. "I... didn't expect that."

"Looks like you were about to have quite a fall." came a familiar voice.

Rose looked up at her rescuer for a good look of him and suddenly it clicked in her head, just who had saved her. She found her hazel eyes staring straight at the dark amber ones of Andrew Keitch. For a moment Rose was tounge-tied and gaped at him. Andrew Keitch was holding her! In his arms, her hands were around his neck, he was smiling at her. They were literally face to face. Well this was certainly not how she had planned to meet him anyway. But it did have it's upsides. She got a really good look of him now. He must be in his early 20s, his hands were like Scorpius' they felt calloused and hard. His face was less pronounced though, in terms of features. Scorpius' face was more angular he had a rounder face shape. His hair was dark brown and ruffled, his arms were visibly muscular. And his smile, it was warm and a little shy?

"Yes, well" Rose said breaking the awkward pause, "I was going to break it myself."

Andrew frowned and placed her back on firm ground. Rose took a step back a little disorientated by forced herself to focus on his face once more.

"A simple thank you would suffice?" he commented.

Rose blinked.

"Well yes I mean thank you but what I meant was that I'm not completely helpless. I mean I..." She rubbed her brow in frustration. "You know what I mean."

Andrew chuckled a little.

"No worries I was only teasing. Yes I saw you whip out your wand. I trust this has happened to you before then?"

"Too many times." came the reply.

"Ah, well what were you doing up there so early?" he asked.

"For the morning air. It's clean." Rose smiled.

"Hah! You're right about that. One of the few disadvantages about Chudley. That's why I come early too. " he nodded.

"Oh." Rose nodded.

"You better find you broom." Andrew pointed to the stands.

"Accio Broom!" Rose called. There was a pause before she could hear the whiz of her broom as it flew straight back to her hands. Rose briefly examined it with her hands. There appeared to be no permanent damage. Glancing up again she saw Andrew inspecting her.

"What?" she asked.

"You're Rose aren't you? Rose Weasley?" he asked back.

"How did you know?"

The hair." he chuckled.

"Good guess." she muttered. Rose's hair was hardly as ginger as her other cousins and she was extremely sensitive over it. At least Scorpius liked her hair.

"Well I guess it's a good start to being partners. We have to learn to trust each other and all. I guess you can count on me then." he winked playfully.

"Yea..." Rose shifted her feet uncomfortably.

Andrew was being nice but somehow she felt like he was trying to fill a role. Scorpius' role. She felt strange and awkward working with someone other than him. She knew Andrew would make a good substitute but it wouldn't be the same.

"I should get cleaned up before practice." Rose murmured. Her hair was in a mess and she felt like she needed to just sit in an air conditioned environment for awhile.

"Wait a second." Andrew stopped her and leaned forward.

He carefully removed a small leaf that had surreptitiously lodged itself in her hair probably as she had fallen. That hadn't been what had bothered Rose. What had bothered her was that when Andrew had removed the leaf, his hand stayed on her face, stroking it slightly. There was also something in his eyes, the way he was looking at her now suddenly she had noticed this strange look that made her slightly uncomfortable. It was almost the way Scorpius looked at her sometimes. Rose disliked the fact that he was intruding into a space or an emotion that she reserved only for Scorpius. She was pretty sure friendship wasn't on his mind at the moment, not the way he was gently stroking her face and playing with the strands of auburn hair. It sent a cold shiver down her spine. Rose blinked for a moment, taken off guard. In Hogwarts nobody had touched her like that apart from Scorpius because they knew she was off limits. Keitch didn't. She had to make her intentions clear to him now. Shaking herself out of temporary paralysis, Rose took a strong step back, shaking his hand away.

"I should go." and she hurried off...

Glancing at the letter once more and her mind going over the incident Rose shook her head. On pitch, Andrew was just like everyone else. He was right, she could count on him, he was always ready to back her up in games but then there was this other aspect to their relationship. When they were alone he would sneak up behind her. Whisper in her ear, smile at her in that odd sort of way that made her heart race but at the same time fill with dread. Rose was confused; conflicted. Rose didn't like him in that way, no, that was Scorpius and only Scorpius but it was definitely difficult not to avoid him since they worked together so directly and to ignore such powerful signals he was sending to her. She had no idea how to respond around him. He was a nice person, she kept trying to convince herself. A good team player and fun to be around when in large groups when things didn't get personal and awkward but she hated all the advances he was making on her. Did he think that just because he had "saved" her he had the right over her? Or was she supposed to melt at the thought of his heroic deed like butter in his arms? Well it might work for some but not for Rose, she thought. And then of course there had been the incident the day before, the true breaking point for her. She had tried to push it out of her head but it had been no use. Now she really had no idea where to go with Andrew...

"Can I talk to you." Andrew murmured.

Rose jumped a little as she felt his breath on her neck. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to face him.

"What about?" she asked.

"I thought maybe you and I can meet up tomorrow for lunch?"

"To discuss tactics?"

"No I was thinking more personal discussion..." he smiled that smile again.

Rose frowned, trying to shove his face out of her vision and focus on Scorpius in her mind. Think about Scorpius, she willed herself.

"Why would you want to do that?" she asked.

Andrew chuckled a little.

"Come on Rose... You don't have to be shy to say yes."

Rose bit her lip.

"I'm afraid I have to decline."

"Playing hard to get then?"

"I have a boyfriend Andrew."

There was a sudden pause as Andrew, who had opened his mouth to speak, stopped in mid thought. He seemed to stare at her for a second, gathering his composure before he could continue. Rose just stared at him, her arms now crossed, angry. How dare he! That look in his eyes a moment ago had given her such a clear impression on what he wanted. There was no way he would get it from her, that was for sure. She belonged to Scorpius and only Scorpius. If he thought he could just waltz in and snatch her away so easy well, he had another thing coming. Sure he was a great Quidditch player and a good looking enough guy but honestly! He expected girls like her to fawn over him? Rose hadn't realised until this point just how frustrated she had been by the situation, how pressuring it had been for her. She had suffered till this point for the sake of the team and for her job, being professional. She had made unnecessary excuses for him, the way she had tried to make excuses for Leo, Albus and Scorpius in Hogwarts when they fought. But now she saw that really she didn't have to. She was not obligated to. She was Rose Weasley. Who did she answer to? Only herself. Seeing the great Andrew Keitch, despite everything that he was, temporarily dumbstruck had given her enormous satisfaction. But it didn't last for long.

"I didn't mean it like that Rose..." Andrew's tone was completely different now, it had suddenly changed to something almost apologetic. He looked innocent and well meaning, not suggestive at all. His eyes were soft and his hands together.

Rose shifted her weight awkwardly at the change. He had changed tactics.

"I have plans." she held her ground.

"I just thought it would be nice to get to know each other, to be... friends?" There with the innocent tone again.

It drove Rose insane how this man could flip from all his different personalities to suit his need. Suddenly she didn't care how many bludgers he had saved her from, all she wanted to do was hit him with one now.

"I still can't make it." she lied again. And with that she had spun on her heel and stalked out, willing herself not to turn around, run to him and slap his face.

As she shook herself out of the flashback, Rose had a headache. The ones that went on for hours and hours. It annoyed her. Staring at her bookshelf across the room now, Rose set the letter down and walked towards it. She ran her fingers along the book spines and sighed heavily. A wave of intense emotion and anger suddenly hit her and the strong urge drove her forward. She was done with conformity. She grabbed a handful of books and ripped them out of the shelves, throwing them to the floor. She grabbed more and more, slamming them harder into the ground, taking out all her frustration on the pages. She shouted and cried out as she did so, beating the wall, shaking the shelves, running her fingers through her hair and kicking things.

"Hoo!" there came a nervous call from Athena who had come out of her cage, staring at Rose worriedly.

Rose ignored her and continued to almost in a daze, destroy her room. She had moved on to her chest and her drawers grabbing and ripping clothes, tossing the onto the floor, stamping on them, pounding them with her fists. Looking up at the wall all of a sudden, she saw the poster of the Cannons with Keitch's face prominently displayed. Walking over to it, she clasped the poster firmly and tore it off the wall, crushing it into a tiny ball.

"Inferno!" she nearly screamed as she watched the ball erupt spontaneously into flames. As flames died down though, so did her anger and slowly she slid down to the floor, the tremendous energy that had built within her, slowly ebbed out once more. Leaning against the wall, Rose began to hit her head against the wall slowly. She was crying, the tears sliding down her face. She buried her face in her arms and began to weep. Athena flew across the room and pecked her gently, trying to see if Rose could be cheered up. Rose looked up at the gentle and loving bird and stroked it for a brief moment.

"Oh you sweet girl." she whispered. "We both hate it here don't we? I don't even care about the Quidditch anymore I just want Scorpius to tell me it's ok. We both hate it here. But you're the only one tough enough to admit it."


	10. Signs of Trouble

Scorpius was pacing. Which was unusual for him. It was Friday evening, his overnight bag was packed and he was ready to go. He stood at the doorway to his house, expecting any moment for Rose to arrive. What was taking her so long? Girls and all their packing. True, he had given her very little notice, a couple of hours via letter in the morning but she had been the one who had agreed to come along. He actually hadn't expected her to, it had been more of a device to inform her of his whereabouts for the weekend. He hadn't forced her had he? He reasoned it in his head. All she needed was some spare clothes, her wand and toothbrush. It wasn't like she was meeting strangers. These were his parents for crying out loud. They knew her and she knew they couldn't afford to be late. His mother might suffer a fit fearing their safety, or something ridiculous like that. "Traveling at night is never safe!" she would say. Plus, Scorpius was actually excited to get back to Malfoy Manor. He hadn't been back since the start of the season and he even though he got to write to his parents and telephone them, it wasn't quite the same as seeing them face to face. It was always good seeing your parents after all.

Scorpius cursed himself for not apparating to Rose's place in Chudley. That had been his initial plan. After all, he had yet to visit and was eager to see what she had done with the place. But Rose had been insistent over the phone when she called to tell him she would be coming that, she wasn't ready for visitors, her place was a mess. Scorpius was sure she was just being her usual finicky self. Mess to her was spick and span for everyone else. But then he hadn't wanted to push her. If she wasn't ready, he was fine with waiting. So here he was, waiting for her. Glancing at his wall clock, he sighed. She had said 7 o clock clock hadn't she? Scorpius was just about to walk over to the phone to ring her when he heard a loud crack behind him.

Turning around he saw Rose facing him. He frowned slightly at her. She looked just like herself, a green cardigan, denim, a national velvet hairstyle. Sweet and simple. She smiled casually at him, gripping her overnight kit with one hand and her other resting on her hip.

"What kept you?" he asked a little impatiently.

Rose's smile thinned.

"Sorry. I just lost track of time."

"You know my mum..."

"Yes yes I'll just explain it to her, that it was my fault." she insisted.

Scorpius sighed and shook his head. They stood in silence for a moment before he finally decided to take a step towards her. It was difficult to stay irritated with Rose. Rose never lied to him about anything and sometimes people could forget things right? Why shouldn't she be given some leeway? The look in her eyes was sincere and he couldn't deny her forgiveness. Rose sensed his change and took a step forward, pecking him on the cheek as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." she murmured as he hugged her.

"Me too, it means less time with my folks!" he chuckled.

"Are you sure you're sorry about that?" she questioned him, pulling away slightly.

Scorpius laughed as he stooped to pick up his bag. His arm still around her, he waited for her to hold his arm before they apparated to Malfoy Manor.

They landed in the fireplace in the dining room. Rose stared at it for a moment, blinking. The light from the familiar chandelier temporarily stunned her. She smiled slightly at the grand green persian rug beneath the dining table

"The view never gets old huh?" She commented at the grand table itself which had already been set. The four table sets looked pitiful on a table meant for a much larger gathering.

Scorpius shook his head smiling.

"Nope."

Taking her arm gently, Scorpius led her past the dinner table and they wound their way through the maze of hallways. Rose recalled the first time she had been directed through these corridors. At the time she had been a terrified impressionable young woman, meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time. She had been dragged through a house she was completely unfamiliar with and hadn't had the time to really register any of what she had seen. This time though, she followed Scorpius with confidence, having been back at Malfoy Manor many a time since her first visit. She now knew where every turn led to, what was behind every door. The knowledge of this made her feel secure in her skin as the reached the wooden door to the living room where Rose had first met Astoria Malfoy. Scorpius knocked on the door and paused, waiting for a reply.

"Come in" came Draco Malfoy's familiar yet still intimidating voice.

Scorpius smiled at Rose before opening the door and leading her inside.

Rose saw both the older Malfoys rise to welcome their visitors. There faces lit up when they saw Rose.

"Rose dear! How lovely to see you again." Astoria rushed forward to envelope her in a hug. Any worries about them being late had obviously been dispelled from her mind. She just seemed glad to see them.

"It was my pleasure, thank you for having me. Oh and sorry we're a tad late." Rose replied, still clutching her overnight bag. Astoria's hug had knocked the wind right out of her.

Sensing this, Draco came to her aid.

"Come now Astoria, look at her, you're crushing the poor girl."

Rose gave Draco a look of gratitude. He smiled back at her a little cheekily as his wife detached herself from Rose and began straightening her outfit.

"Not to worry about being late! We know all about you young folk, so terribly busy all the time. No matter, no matter. Of course I'm sorry about that hug dear, almost smothered you! It's just that we've been terribly lonesome especially without Scorpius around. It's so good to have your company again. " Astoria smiled slightly.

Draco scoffed.

"Huh, you mean to say that you've been lonesome. Not we. I have been perfectly fine. In fact, I wouldn't care if we didn't have company. Less mess and less fuss!" he retorted.

But he wasn't fooling anyone, Rose could tell he was pleased that she was here.

As his parents crowded about Rose, taking her overnight bag from her, getting her to take a seat, offering her a snack before dinner or a drink, Scorpius smiled. It seemed like only yesterday when they had treated the idea of their son dating a Weasley with cold circumspection. Now, they looked at Rose as if she were a part of the family. Deciding it was about time he reminded his parents that Rose hadn't come alone, Scorpius cleared his throat.

"It's great to see you guys too!" he called out.

For a moment his parents turned to face him, looking a little blank. Then Astoria seemed to come to her senses and rushed to her son.

"Oh it's lovely to see you too dear, of course. We're sorry, it's just that Rose is here and you know, we don't want to seem inhospitable?" she blinked innocently.

"Oh, of course not." Scorpius smirked at her.

Astoria frowned and playfully smacked her son's head.

"But thank you for bringing her." she murmured to him quietly so that Rose couldn't hear. "You know me, I always like another woman in the house."

"But of course your mother doesn't mind you dropping in now and again."

His father stepped forward now. There was a look of poorly concealed happiness and pride on his face as he clapped Scorpius on the back.

"You've been doing well son. Keep it up." he nodded a little formally.

"I will Dad. It's good to be home again." after a slight pause, Scorpius tentatively reached forward to hug his father.

He expected to feel Draco tense up at this action. He had always been uncomfortable, even when Scorpius was a child, to outwardly display affection in a hug. And even when he did hug his son, Draco would do so as if he was a wooden block, rigid and not quite sure what to do with himself. But this time he pleasantly surprised him as any formality left his body and he hugged his son, gripping him tightly. Again, Scorpius could see that open affection that had been developing in his parents' behaviour towards him. That had been growing stronger and stronger since he left the Manor. It was wonderful to feel like this with them. To feel so loved. Embracing the moment, Scorpius suddenly felt tears begin to well in his eyes but he fought to hold them back. He hadn't realised how much he'd missed being back. It seemed a little ridiculous to miss his parents and the Manor so much. How long had he been gone? A couple of months? He couldn't bother to remember anymore. The point was that he hadn't been gone for a considerable period of time. But standing here, with his arms wrapped around his father, he forgot all about his ambitions to become a Quidditch star, to pursue his dream, to man up, assume responsibility and leave the nest. Instead, he felt like he was a 6 year old again, just wanting to stay in the comfort and safety of Malfoy Manor. Because it was familiar being here. Because he was home.

And as if echoing his thoughts, his father murmured gently,

"It's good to have you home Scorpius."

Rose, who had been forced into one of the plush green sofas by the fire, watched the scene unfold in front of her. Scorpius and his father embracing. Now that was a rare sight. But it wasn't an unpleasant one. Quite the opposite. Rose remembered once a long time ago how Scorpius had told her that he wanted his parents to be more like her family, open and warm, willing to express their feelings in public. Seeing this now, there was renewed optimism in her. She could see the change in his parents, she could see their love. She knew Scorpius could too too.

Well, the change wasn't as obvious as Scorpius might probably like it, I mean his parents weren't quite at the Weasley and Potter level of enthusiasm but it was getting there. Surely he could appreciate the small changes? Slowly, but surely it would get there. Who knew? Maybe one day, Malfoy Manor really would turn out just as rowdy as the Burrow? Though she doubted that the Malfoys would let it come to that... Still, everyone needs time to deal with things, to adapt, she reflected. For the moment all her problems, fears, regrets and the nagging thought that her apartment back in Chudley still looked like a war zone, seemed to ebb away as she watched them. Astoria had joined the men to form something of a group hug. Rose felt like an awkward stranger suddenly intruding on their privacy.

As if realising this, Scorpius' head snapped up and his eyes met hers. Their molten grey depths were filled with a spectrum of unreadable emotions. His face was slightly flushed and Rose could tell he had been on the verge of tears. He missed them, she realised. He really missed them. Rose felt a pang as the pain began crawling back to her. Her temporary solace quickly dissipated as it all flooded back to her. Drowning and overwhelming her. The thought of being away from her family, from Scorpius. The negativity always seemed to find it's way back to her.

She wished she could be like Scorpius, who got upset but then could get over it and move on with life. Because she annoyed herself. The way she was behaving, like a homesick child that was so afraid and whiny and pathetic, it annoyed her. And she didn't want to be this way. She wanted to be brave and independent, like Scorpius. But she couldn't be like him. Being surrounded by so many people who loved her her whole life, having such a big family, she wasn't accustomed to being alone. She thrived on company and being in groups. Even in Hogwarts she had had Albus and of course Scorpius. For the first time, she was truly on her own and not to mention she had the whole Keitch dram to deal with on top of that. It was stretching her to her limits. Rose hated being so unhappy and trying to pretend otherwise. But refusing to be annoying again and spoil the moment, Rose buried it and smiled at her boyfriend encouragingly. Scorpius gave her a smile in return before turning to his parents and clearing his throat gently.

The Malfoys promptly broke apart smiling at each other. Astoria was openly tearing, while Draco's hair was slightly disheveled. His eyes were dark though, as if deep in thought. Scorpius put his hand on his father's shoulder, squeezing it gently. Astoria quickly brushed aside her tears and sighed.

"Look at us, getting all silly and emotional over nothing! You'd have thought that Scorpius had been gone for 10 years looking at our reactions... Parents will be parents as they say. I'm terribly sorry about that Rose, suppose we just lost ourselves."

"No, no..." Rose said as she got up to join them, "I understand completely, you should see my family when we all get together." she chuckled lightly.

Scorpius threw her a look.

"I can imagine..." he smirked slightly.

Rose rolled her eyes playfully as Scorpius rested his hand on her waist gently.

"Dinner then? I expect you hungry now Rose after witnessing all this unbridled emotion? Now that Astoria has shed her tears I don't see any better time." Draco smiled.

Astoria scoffed. "That's right, make fun of me then..." she trailed off as she opened the doors lead them back to the dining room.

Soon the four of them were taking their places at the table. Draco sat at the head with Astoria on his right and Scorpius and Rose on his left. Draco clapped his hands and suddenly two house elves popped efficiently into the room, each holding two bowls of soup each.

"Brighella, Toby!" Scorpius suddenly rose from his seat as he recognised their familiar faces. The house elves started as they saw their master, struggling not to drop their soup bowls. Scorpius quickly outstretched his hand to help.

"Oh no master! No, no leave this to us. Not worry!" Toby cried out.

"We are so happy that you return master." Brighella smiled.

"Yes so happy. And Mistress Rose too!" Toby chimed in.

Rose smiled at the house elves. It was nice to know that they enjoyed her being here. With that quick conversation, Brighella and Toby set down the soup bowls, smiled at everyone once more and with another crack, were out of the room. Scorpius chuckled and sat down to join the rest of the company who were already beginning to tuck into their dinner. Rose felt warmth rush through her as she took a sip of the soup. What was it? Tomato, she thought. The Malfoys had always prided themselves with excellent food and tonight's meal was no exception. And they hadn't even reached the main course yet. In fact, if there was an award out there for the best tomato soup she had tasted, she would have handed it to the Malfoys on a silver platter in an instant. Glancing slightly at Scorpius slightly, she saw him gorging down the soup eagerly. No wonder, she reflected. Everyone knew that Scorpius was a decent but not that great of a cook. His food would never measure up to this.

"Remember to swallow Scorpius dear." his mother chuckled, noting his behaviour.

Scorpius glanced up for a moment to look at his mother.

"Well it's not everyday you get to have some of the best soup there is." he replied.

"If not the best soup there is." Rose chimed in.

Scorpius smirked at her.

"Sucking up are we?"

Rose pretended to look aghast.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! It's the truth!"

Rose and Scorpius laughed before they fell into comfortable silence once more.

Soon they had gone through the soup, the main course, a lively pan fried dory with baked potatoes and assorted vegetables and for desert they each had a slice of chocolate cake. All in all, they had a agreed it was a most excellent meal. When they were done with desert, Draco clapped his hands once more and Brighella and Toby were back quite literally in a flash and were quick to remove the plates and clear the table. Rose was sure to tell the house elves to send her compliments to the chefs. They had beamed happily at this and had thanked Rose for agreeing to come and stay for the weekend. And with that, they cracked out of the room again. Draco Malfoy wiped his mouth with the corner of his napkin before he turned his attention to Rose.

"So Rose we've heard that practice has been very good for you so far?" he asked.

Rose glanced at Scorpius who shrugged.

"They wanted to know." came his reply.

"Oh I'm sorry if we were intruding?" Draco looked slightly worried.

But Rose was quick to dispel any feelings of uneasiness.

"No no, I was just surprised that's all. No worries. It's not bad, challenging like Scorpius. It's a big jump from Hogwarts to the big league. They make us do really intense exercises like dive practices." she commented.

Scorpius groaned at this.

Rose chuckled, "Yes and they make us pull up just before we hit the ground. And we do that over and over till the coach is satisfied. It's supposed to prepare us to be ready for a real life circumstance like that in the future."

Draco nodded.

"Yes I can imagine that's tough. It's a combination of calculated risk and your nerves isn't it?"

"Exactly, you have to look confidant enough to intimidate the other player, whoever it is but know where the limit is." Scorpius explained.

Astoria shook her head, as his trying to get the mental image out of my mind.

"Ugh, I was never much of a flyer myself. If I had to do those, what do you call them? Ah right, dive practices, I might faint." she shook her head once more.

"Well it's not so bad, I mean the chance of actually having to do that in a real tournament for beaters is so slim. It's just preparation. Ultimately it makes us more versatile as Quidditch players." Rose said comfortingly.

"What's it like with your new beater partner? I can imagine the change after playing with Scorpius for how long?" Draco asked.

"6 years" Scorpius and Rose replied without hesitation.

Both the elder Malfoys gave them a look of bemusement before Draco continued.

"Yes so what's it like Rose? I know Scorpius is somewhat struggling with Horton..." he teased.

Scorpius frowned a little. "I'm not struggling. It's just unusual. I need to adjust. Will's style is just very different and unpredictable, he's very difficult to read which is good because the opponent doesn't read him but then neither can I so I just have to tag along and see where we go. He's a very, spur of the moment sort of player, less tactical. And obviously that's a big difference compared to Rose. I think I'm just so comfortable to knowing the beater's every move, this has sort of thrown me off my game a little."

Astoria nodded her head in understanding and then turned her attention to Rose.

"You're playing with Andrew Keitch yes?"

Rose stiffened at his very name. Like she was building a defense mechanism against him.

"Yes" came her monosyllabic reply.

"There was a lot of bad blood between him and the Falcons when he left?" Astoria unknowingly prodded.

"But you can hardly blame them can you?" Scorpius defended his team.

"Yes" Rose added, "I mean you use a team to build your reputation and skills and then you leave them for no good reason except to further your own interests? That's pretty awful I think. And self centered."

An awkward silence suddenly filled the room. Nobody quite knew how to interpret Rose's comment. It was unusually cold and unfeeling for Rose to say something like that. At most, she called people unkind or self indulgent. Self centered and awful, she only used those words on people like Mel, Scorpius reflected. He decided to come to her rescue.

"Come now Rose you said he wasn't all that bad before." he implored.

Seeing her chance for redemption, Rose took his lead.

"Oh yes he's quite good as a player, like I said before you know, nimble, always on his toes, very very alert. And I mean he's willing to teach so I learn a lot watching and playing with him. It's just I don't respect him as a person for what he did. I think it was pretty self orientated and in Quidditch players should never be interested in the self but in the team. It's a team sport. It requires equal team effort. " she stiffly tried to justify her previous statement but it didn't really work. Everyone could tell by her tone that she was thoroughly uncomfortable.

"Good point Rose. Players aren't and they shouldn't really be considered as individuals but part of the collective identity. I guess it's because it's so rare for transfers in the first place, usually once you find a team you stick with them, so the fact that Keitch was the one who transferred out of all people; that was the bigger blow. Because it was just so unlikely that something like that was going to happen." Scorpius tried to salvage the situation one more time.

There was another pause before Rose suddenly rose from the table. She couldn't take all this talk about Keitch anymore. It hadn't been excessive but she had come here to try and get away from him and he just seemed to follow her everywhere! Even with the Malfoys! Even when she was with Scorpius! She didn't want to appear rude but she just needed to get some rest. She needed to put all these thoughts out of her mind.

"I'm not feeling so well. Do you mind if I turn in a little earlier?" she asked.

Draco and Scorpius had immediately risen from the table as is mimicking her action but it was Astoria that replied.

"Of course dear, must be all that Quidditch wearing you down. Sometimes Scorpius can sound so tired on the phone and in his letters. Perfectly understandable. Not to worry." She clapped her hands.

Brighella was back in the room, looking expectantly at her mistress.

"Brighella, Rose is not quite well, do you mind showing her to her room so she can have some rest?" Astoria asked.

Brighella nodded immediately.

"Of course of course. Anything for mistress Rose. Come now mistress Rose."

She walked towards Rose, taking her hand gently. Rose gripped it, as if her life depended on it.

"Thank you Brighella" Rose smiled. "I'm terribly sorry about this everyone, I'm not quite myself." she apologised.

The Malfoys shook their heads.

"No need to apologise, we'll see you in the morning." Draco assured her.

"Thank you." Rose offered a weak smile but as it faded as she caught Scorpius' concerned and confused stare. It made her feel so horrible, knowing that she was doing this to him.

Guiltily, she followed Brighella out of the room.

"Indeed" Draco murmured as the door shut behind her, "She is not quite herself."

"Has she been ill Scorpius?" Astoria turned to her son.

Scorpius shook his head.

"Not to my knowledge. But she has been very distant lately. Like there's something that she's not telling me. I don't know what though. I didn't want to ask her, she would have gotten upset."

"Maybe you should..." Draco was still murmuring as if in thought.

"Yes" Astoria added, "I know you want to give her her space and that's not wrong, she's an independent young woman. But when it comes to this, when she clearly not acting like herself, there must be something serious on her mind."

"If it was that serious, she would have told me." Scorpius insisted.

"I still think you should talk to her." Draco insisted. "She only got quite uneasy when we started talking about Quidditch. Maybe she's having trouble at work that she doesn't want to talk about much?"

"It's worth a try dear." Astoria smiled slightly.

Scorpius reflected on this for awhile. Maybe his father was right. All the times when he had noticed Rose was behaving in a strange manner, they had either been talking about Quidditch, or the fact that she lived in Chudley vs. Falmouth or Keitch. Keitch... After tonight's conversation, there wasn't much doubt in his mind that her strange behaviour had something to do with him. But what exactly did it have to do with Keitch? Why did Rose get so tense about the subject? Curiosity fueled him. He frowned as his mind tried to figure out the mystery though nothing plausible came to mind. The one thing he now could conclude was this: Rose was definitely not herself. He had been a fool for pretending to sweep it under the rug and ignore the signs! He had just been selfish. He had wanted everything to remain exactly the same, for his relationship with Rose to remain as "perfect" as it had been before. But he had overlooked a crucial component in the equation: Rose. Rose wasn't the same anymore. And he had to find out why. If his parents saw the change, it must be pretty obvious. The time for giving her her own space was over. This was obviously something that was consuming her and Scorpius knew that he had to help her get this out in the open and then help her deal with it. Otherwise nobody else would.

Scorpius turned his attention back to his parents. "You're right. I think something pretty serious is happening. I'll talk to her about it."

"When?" Astoria asked.

Scorpius sighed, folding his arms across his chest in exasperation, looking up at the chandelier and watching the crystals gently swaying from side to side, as if they were being rocked to sleep.

"Soon."


	11. The Weeping Willow

"How about a walk Rosie?" Scorpius asked gently.

It was Sunday evening. The air was cool and crisp outside and from the tinted window Scorpius could just see a slight breeze that rustled the amber and yellow leaves of the trees and swept them up off the ground. The Autumn air appealed to Scorpius and he was keen to get out for awhile. Sighing, he reflected over the events of the weekend. The days just seemed to fly by, like the leaves flying up and past the window now. Rose had been much better yesterday, as compared to her erratic and unforeseen behaviour at dinner on Friday. More of her old self, she had cracked some good jokes and had laughed at others'. There had been a rejuvenated look in her face and Scorpius still pictured in his mind the way her eyes had twinkled earlier that afternoon. She had even wanted to play three games of wizard's chess in a row against his father! Maybe all she needed was the extra rest, a bit of time to get away, he had reasoned it with himself on Saturday. But then of course he also had to bear in mind that they had all made the special effort not to bring up the topic or rather the issue of Quidditch with her again. That was probably the reason why, not the change in scenery, he decided. They had gone down to the lake yesterday, to fish. Scorpius' skills, he had realised had become a little rusty but by the end of the expedition, he had managed a sizable catch. His parents, being avid fishes, also brought in praiseworthy catches. But naturally it was Rose, being the over achiever that she was, who had caught the biggest out of the lot, a 10 pound rainbow trout.

And now, it was Sunday. Too fast; too soon, he reflected. Scorpius had already packed his things up and so had Rose, in anticipation of their departure back to Falmouth and Chudley respectively. Well it wasn't like there had been much to pack anyway. And while his mother would have liked him to stay one more night, Scorpius insisted that they needed to get back for training the following morning. He didn't want to appear groggy and late fro practice unnecessarily. It had thus been decided that Rose and Scorpius would leave after dinner. For now, the two of them were sitting in the Malfoy's living room again. The green fire was crackling and gave off that familiar but nevertheless, eerie glow. Scorpius was seated by the window and opposite Rose who had been reading one of his father's excellent books on Ancient Runes. Speaking of his parents, they had gone out to Diagon Alley for awhile, just to grab some essential supplies. They had said that they would be back before dinner. For now, there wasn't much to do. Except maybe go for a walk.

"Rose?" Scorpius called her. She evidently hadn't heard him the first time.

"Hmm?" Rose tore herself away from the page and glanced up at Scorpius. Her head seemed to be full of thought but she gave him a genuine smile.

"I asked if you want to go for a walk?" he replied.

Rose bit her lip.

"I'd love to, you know that but this book..." she trailed off looking a little forlorn.

"Come on Rosie! You can always borrow the book but it's not everyday you get an Autumn walk about the Malfoy grounds do you?" he looked at her imploringly.

Rose furrowed her brow, glancing from the book to Scorpius. Finally she sighed in exasperation and set it down on the table beside her.

"Aagh! You are so infuriating!" she gasped crossing her arms and staring at him.

Scorpius grinned and rose from his seat. He crosses over to Rose and helped her up.

"Come on! The fresh air is good for the soul!" he called.

"Well it didn't do you much good then." she scoffed.

Scorpius rolled his eyes and efficiently dragged her to the entrance of the Manor.

He swiftly opened up the cloak cupboard and grabbed his coat. Since Rose hadn't anticipated going outdoors, she had borrowed one of Astoria's for the weekend. Helping her into it, Scorpius then shut the cupboard door. He quickly scribbled a note to his parents, informing them of where they had gone and placed it on the side table beside the cupboard. Satisfied, Scorpius then tied up his laces. They were always coming loose. Looking up and seeing that Rose was ready, he rose and offered her his arm.

"Shall we?" he grinned like a kid.

She laughed.

"We shall!"

With that, he summoned the effort to open the main door to the Manor. It was a large and frequently polished oak door and it required some strain to pull it open. After being away for awhile Scorpius had forgotten just how much strain. Reflecting on the door itself though, he had to admit, it made a big statement. Some experts in wood carving and sculpting might consider it a work of art in itself. For one it had been here since the Manor's construction and had seen many a feet pass through. It also had the proud and bold insignia of the Malfoy household on it's front with vines carves into the edges and a large serpent poised at it's foot. The solid ebony wooden door handle gave off an impressive aura. It reflected status and power.

Yanking it open now, Scorpius tried to remain collected as Rose chuckled.

"How did you manage to live here for so long and still find it difficult to open that door?" she asked playfully.

Scorpius rolled his eyes again.

"Fine, next time you open it then."

Rose said nothing but laughed and made her way outside. Eagerly, Scorpius followed her but not before remembering to yank the door to close it behind him. Rose had already started without him and was making her way down the driveway. The gravel on the ground crunched under their feet and Scorpius hurried to catch up with her.

"Going somewhere?" he asked when he reached her.

Rose playfully punched him and buried her hands in her pockets.

"It's lovely isn't it?"

Scorpius observed the scenery before them. During the Second Wizarding War, much of the greenery around the Manor had been destroyed. To start of with Scorpius' grandparents had never had what muggles might call, "green thumbs". But since then, once his father had taken over the estate, Astoria had committed herself to the reconstruction of the Manor's ground and gardens. She had always had a love for flowers and the current botany seen on the grounds was a reflection of that. Now there were all kinds of shrubs, plants and large trees around the property. Scorpius recalled spending much of his childhood running about through the smaller flower beds and at the end of the day he would always pick a few for his mother. Though now most of the smaller plants weren't visible or had stopped flowering due to the approaching winter, Scorpius could still see the trees. The trees that he had tried to climb as an adventurous 7 year old all those years ago. The massive trees that loomed a little forebodingly in the distance. In the dusk, they looked almost unearthly.

"Yes, it's quite something. You're mother's really maintained things well." Rose remarked.

"Well I suppose gardening's one of her hobbies and passions, but I imagine that she still uses magic to do it." he replied a little smugly.

Rose chuckled.

"You Malfoys are all the same..." she sighed.

Scorpius glanced at Rose for a moment. In this light, she looked absolutely lovely. Her hair was down, the orange rays of the sun, bringing out the rich red tints in her curls which gently framed her face. A small blue clip kept hair away out of her hazel brown eyes. Her simple but elegant sky blue dress gently wrapped around her petite silhouette and with Astoria's dark grey coat wrapped around her, she looked ready for a dinner with the Minister of Magic. Catching him staring at her, Rose smiled.

"What?" she asked him.

"Nothing, you're beautiful."

Scorpius had expected Rose to immediately retort back. But instead, she paused as if considering his compliment before murmuring,

"Thank you."

Then she promptly turned away and began walking off towards the gates of Malfoy Manor. Scorpius decided that now was as good a time as any.

"Rosie!" he called after her.

Rose turned around.

"What is it Scorp?"

"Follow me." he replied and with that he turned back towards the house and began walking. After awhile he heard her brisk footsteps behind him.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she caught up.

"You'll see." he replied again.

They had reached the front of the driveway but instead of walking back to the entrance like Rose had anticipated, Scorpius swung sharply to the right of the Manor, away from the entrance. Now he was heading purposefully towards the back of the house. They had stepped off the driveway itself and instead of gravel beneath them, there was the softer crunch of dried up and shriveled leaves. Leaves that had once displayed a beautiful and vibrant shade of green. And now they were just things to be trodden on. The life had simply been sucked out of them. There was no more colour, no more life. They were dead.

"Like our relationship" Scorpius thought a little remorsefully to himself.

Suddenly their intended destination appeared before them. It was harder to see it now, all these years later since it was first planted, it seemed to blend in with the rest of the smaller plants and shrubs. No longer was it a singular lone figure, one that rose up to be quite apart from the others. Rose breathed deeply as she saw the willow tree. It had been so long since she had been here. Well maybe not that long. But with all the things she had gotten caught up with she had almost forgotten she had ever been here in the first place. But the willow had faithfully remained as if waiting for her, it's long outstretched branches, drooping sadly and swaying in the gentle breeze. Scorpius now turned back to face Rose who had been lagging slightly behind and took her hand. She did not resist as he lead her closer and closer towards the shade of the tree which now seemed to loom higher over them as they got closer. The willow seemed to act as a curtain. As they stepped under it and retreated towards it tall, strong and circular trunk, it's gentle branches seemed to phase out the rest of the world and it was like Scorpius and Rose were in a little place of their own. A little safe haven.

Scorpius released Rose's hand and she made her way over towards the small and forgotten park bench that still sat in the tree's shade. The black shiny paint on it's metallic frame had been chipped and their was an interspersion of grey and black. Fallen leaves scattered it's seat but the wooden frame remained sturdy, protected from the elements by the willow's shelter. Rose dusted off the seat before settling herself into it. She gazed at Scorpius as he gently touched the willow's trunk. She didn't have to ask him why. Instead, she watched for some strange reason, with guilt, as his calloused fingertips ran over the carving that they had made as a pair nearly two years ago. Scorpius gently touched the carving, just to make sure it was there, that it had happened, though there was still a strong contrast of the carving against the rest of the dark bark of the tree. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to remember exactly how it happened...

It had been a wonderful Summer afternoon. Warm but not humid. The Summer before their final year at Hogwarts. Rose and Scorpius had been enjoying the fruits of young love. It had been perhaps Rose's third visit to the Manor. Scorpius' parents had been out for the day, he could no longer remember the reason why. They had been having a picnic below the willow tree. The flowers had been in full bloom and lying on the picnic mat, the pair had been surrounded by daisies, magnolias, roses and carnations. They had just finished their sandwiches and Rose had been lying against the tree trunk in contentment, Scorpius' head resting in her lap.

"We should mark this spot." she had suggested.

"Why?" He had opened his eyes and squinted as they adjusted to the sunlight.

"To remember our time here silly!" her laugh still rang in his ears.

"Ok then."

"So what shall we do"

"Oh I know what we should do"

"Well tell me then!" she shoved him off her lap and pouted slightly.

Scorpius pecked her gently on the lips before jumping up and dusting himself off. Digging around in his pocket, he smirked with satisfaction as he finally pulled out his penknife.

Rose had snorted at this. "Oh and I suppose you just happened to bring that with you."

"Rosie I'm a wizard, expect the unexpected!" he grinned cheekily.

He then helped her to her feet and his left arm had snaked around her waist. She giggled as he grinned at her and set to work. A look of concentration had been on his face as he had begun to carve with his instrument. He started with the heart. He carved out one half and then the other. Taking a step back, he nodded in satisfaction. It was a decent looking heart. Then he carved a large and elegant looking letter "S" on the left side of the heart. Finally he added a little "+" sign smack in the middle of his handiwork.

"You're turn" he had turned to her.

Rose had smiled. "You didn't leave a lot for me to do."

"Leave the essential craftwork to the master."

Rose rolled her eyes but eagerly took the penknife, finishing their handiwork off with a very feminine looking "R" on the right.

Again they had taken a step back and gazed at it for awhile. After a brief but comfortable pause, they had both smiled in contentment, very pleased.

"That will never change. I'll take care of you forever." Scorpius had murmured in her ear and pointing directly to the carving.

Rose had glanced at him a little uncertainly but hopefully before replying.

"Forever?"

"Forever and ever."

Scorpius had felt a warm glow in his heart as she, comforted by his words, had nestled her head into the slight crook of his neck, leaning on him slightly. Needing him. It was one of the few times when Rose had allowed herself to depend on him. It made him feel good. With a contented sigh, he had tucked away his penknife and had wrapped his arms around her. They had been secure and comfortable then, protected by the willow and with the warmth of the Summer surrounding them. In that one moment, the both of them had thought that nothing could break them or tear them apart...

Yet look at the two of them now! How different they had both become. Rose had suddenly risen from her the bench and as if it were an obligation, she crossed over to join Scorpius.

"Funny what we did when we were younger"

She chuckled as she thoughtfully stroked her letter "R" which still seemed to stand out so prominently as if it had been carved yesterday.

Scorpius, whose hand had dropped back to his side nodded.

"Yes, funny" he said a little bitterly.

"So what is it?" Rose asked without even looking up at him, her eyes still firmly planted on the tree.

"What?"

"This isn't just an ordinary walk for us to reminisce I'm sure. You always have a reason. So what is it?" she continued.

"Wow, so outright?"

"There's no point sugarcoating whatever it is Scorp. You might as well cut to the chase."

Scorpius took a moment trying to process what Rose was saying. There it was again, that distant behaviour he had been seeing for the last few months. The more he spoke it seemed, the higher and thicker Rose was building her mental wall. And he couldn't, no matter how hard her tried, break through to her. It frustrated him to no end. He had no idea how to proceed from here. Well he had had one idea but it wasn't much of an option. Scorpius had considered once or twice these last few days in to employ Legilimency. But no sooner had it crossed his mind, Scorpius had realised much too quickly that he couldn't or simply wouldn't do that to Rose. No matter what she was going through, she trusted him and she would never employ Legilimency on him, no matter what the circumstance. It was an invasion of one's personal space. He couldn't betray her trust by intruding her mind, though he was desperate to simply comprehend what was going on in there. So instead, he took a deep breath and took the more conventional approach.

"What's wrong Rose?" he asked her, staring at her pale figure. She still refused to meet his eyes and so Scorpius willed himself to stare at her until she would have no other choice accept to comply.

True enough, after a pause, Rose finally detached her hand from the tree and met his strong gaze with an equally intimidating death stare.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Her voice had suddenly gone icy cold. Any trace of warmth or humor that had been there barely a minute ago seemed to have evaporated. It made Scorpius shudder, how quickly she could change from the Rose he had known for over 7 years and this... this creature before him. He hardly recognised her at all.

He frowned at her. "Please don't make this more difficult than it has to be Rose. I want to help you."

"With what? There's nothing I need help with." There was a clear sound of defiance in her voice as she snapped her reply. She had now crossed her arms across her chest and had drawn herself to full height, as if to challenge him.

"Rose let's be honest. You're not acting yourself."

"Says who?"

"Everyone! Even my parents notice it! You've been distant and you're holding something back. I've been patient, I've tried to be understanding. Well maybe that's not true, maybe I just didn't want to confront the fact that you were changing, that something was wrong and so I tried to give you you're own space. I thought it would blow over. That was my fault, I should have been there to support you and address whatever this is with you. I'm sorry about that. I truly am. But I'm here now Rose and you need to tell what's going on because if you don't I'm worried what you might become."

"Oh, and what exactly am I becoming?" she asked, her tone was still accusing and now it was almost taunting, as if Scorpius was the bad guy and she was daring him to find fault in her.

"A stranger." Scorpius murmured.

"Can you hear what you're saying Rose? This isn't you. This was never you. You're kind and understanding and warm. You love hugs and butterflies. You like to talk about things, not shut your feelings away. You lead conversations, not merely smile or nod when you're expected to. You're loud and outgoing, not controlled and subdued. Whatever this issue is or whatever these issues are, they're consuming you. They're changing the Rose whom we all know and love into something so strange and foreign that we hardly know how to act around you anymore!"

That seemed to catch Rose and she paused, the violent fire and the impending anger that had been building up in her eyes, suddenly dissipated, like a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown over her and she slumped her shoulders. Scorpius could see that she was fighting back tears. Albeit rather unsuccessfully.

"Wow" she choked slightly. "That was quite a speech."

Scorpius suddenly regretted his small outburst. He hadn't expected to vent his frustration and all his fears so... explosively.

"Rose I..." he started

"Have I changed that much?" she whispered.

Scorpius stared at her, unsure how to respond. She had now wrapped her arms around her trembling and hunched figure, crumpled and broken, the tears were beginning to flow freely, slipping down the sides of her face.

"I never meant to." she continued.

"I don't understand..." Scorpius shook his head.

"I never meant to change. I just thought I could handle it on my own."

She sobbed a little more before her hands instinctively reached for the tears and brushed them from her face. Trying to collect herself, she took several deep breaths before she looked to face Scorpius again.

"But obviously I couldn't" her voice still wavered but her eyes had renewed strength in them. Like she had made up her mind about something. Scorpius realised quickly that she was about to erect her mental walls once again. The moment of vulnerability in Rose had passed. She was about to phase him out once more.

"Please Rose, let me understand." in desperation Scorpius quickly reached for her arms but Rose drew them sharply away.

"You can't! You'll never understand. I know you want to help me but you can't. It's too late. It's too late!" she retreated several steps back.

Scorpius stared at her helplessly.

"It's never too late Rose. Please try. Ok, here's my guess then. It's about Quidditch isn't it? Every time I or anyone else brings it up you get like this. So defensive And when we talked about Keitch the other day..." he began

"For Merlins sake! Stop it!" she suddenly wailed. The calm exterior she had managed to scramble to piece together a moment ago was now completely shattered before him. She was broken, utterly broken. "Stop trying to figure it out because you can't get it! It's far too complicated than you could possibly imagine."

"It is Quidditch then. Why else would you respond like this. I mean just... just look at yourself. Look at what you're doing. But what I don't get is, what about it? Is it the training? Are you too tired? Or stressed maybe? Are you..." he continued, trying to work it out more for himself rather than give her plausible suggestions.

"No, no no!" she had her back to him now and her hands were on her ears as if she were cursing Scorpius and all the words out of her mind. Rose was nearly hysterical as she continued. "All I wanted was to get away this weekend. To get away from it all. But I can't. I'm reminded of it everywhere I go. Even by you!" she pointed her finger at him accusingly.

"Well I won't remind you, at least I'll try not to if you just tell me what IT is. Please just tell me." he implored.

And suddenly Scorpius felt the angry tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't understand why but he couldn't and didn't want to hold them back. He blinked violently as they clouded his vision. Seeing Rose like this, in this frantic state where nothing she said seemed to make sense to him, it was terrifying. And it was heartbreaking because he knew that she wouldn't or maybe she was right, she simply couldn't let him help her. There was nothing he could do except let her fall to pieces. Glancing at the carving in the willow's trunk once more, he let the tears fall freely as he spoke,

"I promised you once. A while ago. I promised I would take care of you! Forever! I promised you." He stumbled on his words as the tears choked him.

Hearing his sobs, Rose whirled around to face him. Seeing him in tears hurt her, Scorpius realised. Observing him, she looked like someone had blasted her with the Cruciatus curse. Now she was crying again, almost with him, the tears sliding down and dropping off her nose and chin like quiet little raindrops on a window pane. Soft and silent. Between the two of them there was so much sorrow and regret and pain. Rose gently and tentatively reached forward to stroke Scorpius' face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's never been you're fault you know. It's been mine." she soothed him.

Scorpius started to protest but she silenced him with a melancholic smile.

"No. I'm serious. Maybe you blame yourself for not coming to me earlier. For not talking things out. But I was the one with the problem. I should have come to you when I could. But I can't anymore Scorp. It's too late. Please try and understand that? We're past talking things out. We're way past that stage."

Scorpius couldn't respond, he was like a statue without the will to break out of it's mold. He had no idea what she meant by what she was saying and so he just stared into the depths of her darkened brown eyes which were drowning with an enormous amount of guilt.

"You kept you're promise, you did take care of me. Whenever you could, you did. Never second guess yourself that you didn't do enough for me. Don't ever feel guilty. I don't deserve you. I never have. It was I that didn't do enough for you. Look at what I've done to you. You're crying. For the love of Merlin, you're crying! I don't think I've actually seen you cry like this before... I should have let you take care of me more. I should have allowed myself to be more dependent. But I was vain and proud and defiant Scorp. I was being myself, headstrong. I wanted to go out and conquer all my issues alone. But I can't do that, I've realised I can't be strong alone anymore" her voice cracked.

"It's not too late" Scorpius sounded a little like a parrot for repeating that line again and again as he took her hand from his face and held it gently. "You can be strong with me" he sobbed.

She laughed a little through her sobs.

"No I can't. Because you remind me of everything I should have done, everything I did wrong. Just how much I messed up. You're the epitome of my failure. I've caused you too much pain Scorp and too much confusion to drag you further down with me now. You never asked for any of this but I gave it to you anyway. I never gave you a second thought. I have been so selfish and I'm so sorry..." she trailed off

"What are you saying?" Scorpius' voice was barely audible.

"I'm saying that I need to go." Rose uttered.

Scorpius' mind suddenly went blank as he processed what she had just said. It was as if the only candle left in the world had been flickering and finally had been extinguished. Any hope for reconciliation with Rose now had just slipped away from him. Was this it then? The end of them?

"You need to let me go." Rose re emphasised, her voice was completely neutral as she tried to simplify the meaning of her words but Scorpius could tell this was killing her as much as it was killing him.

"I can't... I could never." he swore.

"But you have to. I need help Scorp. I'm messed up. You're right, exactly right. You always are. I'm not myself. This is consuming me, dragging me down. But I'm not about to bring you down with me. I should have worked it out with you when I had the chance but it's gotten far too complicated. I wouldn't be able to look at you straight in the face anymore if I told you. I'm so guilty for what I've done to you. All this secrecy, this pretense. And I don't think I could bear the way you'd look at me either. So please don't let me destroy you. You have so much to give. I don't want to see you go to bits like I have. I'll work things out but I just can't do it with you. I can't endure watching you suffer with me. You have to just... stay away from me."

With that Rose retracted her hand from his grasp. She wrapped her arms around herself again. Looking at him, fresh tears rose to her eyes as she whispered pitifully,

"I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm so sorry Scorpius"

But Scorpius was quick to retaliate

"I can't let you go Rose. Because I need you. I love you. Don't you see dear? Don't you see? That either way you destroy me. By telling me, you supposedly wreck me. But by keeping me in the dark, that's an even worse form of torture!"

"I don't deserve you..." Rose shook her head as if she hadn't heard him.

"Rose you are everything to me..."

"Please just forget me Scorpius. I don't know if we can ever be friends again, once I sort things out. I hope so. I truly truly hope so. But please for now, I need a clean start. So just forget me. Think of me as dead, remember me as I was."

"I love you"

"I love you too. And if you truly love me, you'd let me go."

Scorpius wanted to protest. He wanted to close the gap between them and kiss her right then and there and defy her still. If she could be stubborn than so could he! He wanted to prove to her that when he said forever, he had meant it. But something was holding him back. It was the nagging thought at the back of his head that was telling to do otherwise. That was telling him to let her walk away. To let her get better. That if he cared, he would respect her wishes and let her get better. Rose needed to get over this whatever it was, she needed to move forward. And maybe Scorpius was one of the elements that was pulling her back. At least that was what she seemed to be suggesting. He has to be brave and selfless for her sake. And so summoning all the courage he had not let the fresh tears push through, he spoke,

"Goodbye Rose."

Rose blinked for a moment as if trying to process what he had said. Scorpius wished, as he watched her, that he could take it all back. But he held strong as he waited for her response. After a pause she nodded, her eyes were filled with guilt but also of gratitude. Scorpius knew that he had done the right thing letting her go. She needed to find herself and conquer her demons. He might have been able to have helped her once. But not anymore. This had escalated to a level that only she could address. And so she replied,

"Goodbye Scorpius"

Then without another word she turned slowly and purposefully walked straight back towards the Manor. Scorpius could see her bury her head in her hands as she walked. Fighting his every instinct, he stood rooted to the ground under the willow, watching her go.

She did not look back.


	12. Falcons vs Cannons

Scorpius sat silently on the bench in the Falcon's male locker room as the activity swarmed around him. The rest of his male teammates were busy getting ready for the match. This was an important one. If they won, they'd be on the top of the table. At the head of the Quidditch league. Naturally, there was a general sense of excitement and nerves amongst everyone. The top spot on the league table... that was always the ultimate aim for any team. People were coping with their stress and excessive energy in different ways. Some were fidgeting and adjusting their uniforms. Others like William who were feeling more confident and calm, were practicing their swings and were warming up. As for Scorpius, he felt numb amongst all the bustle. Physically, he was ready for the match. His hair was slicked back, he had his bat and broom and was wearing the familiar dark grey and white coloured Falcon's uniform. He had warmed up on his own earlier and had remembered to stretch. His locker had been tightly shut as if to signal finality and if Coach Wood had called them onto the field now, he would have gone without a second thought. But mentally, he was quite as prepared. Something was troubling him. He wasn't nervous of the result of this match and what ramifications it might have for the team, like the others. Based on all the extra work and practice they had had, they had a good chance of winning. No, rather he was nervous about **who** they were playing. Today of all days, he thought with reluctance, on such a crucial match, they had to be playing against the Chudley Cannons.

Interestingly it was their first ever match against them. There had been so many other new fledgling teams sprouting up and competing this year, that it had taken awhile for them to reach the famed Cannons. But the fact that he would be facing this team for the first time on the pitch made the match all the more nerve racking for Scorpius. Rather, facing Rose for the first time on the pitch would be nerve racking. The fact that he'd never gone up against her before remained a nagging thought in his head. Would he still be able to read her like he used to? Or would she have picked up some new skills from Keitch? She probably had but then he couldn't know for sure. They hadn't spoken in 3 months. Not since their incident at Malfoy Manor. Every time Scorpius' mind went back to that image of her walking away from him, leaving him behind, he felt a pang in his heart. Having to face all that baggage on the field today, Scorpius had suddenly realised would be painful. But what he was most afraid of, was that when he played her, she might throw him off his game. Make him lose focus. At this stage it definitely wasn't about him and his feelings anymore. Like he and Rose had emphasised to his parents on her very last visit, Quidditch was a team sport. He couldn't let the others down. If he let Will down, he was dead meat anyway. He couldn't afford to go soft at all.

Really, any other day or match would have done. He would have been nervous but the pressure wouldn't have been as high. He just had to play her on the day when they could have the chance of reaching the top of league? Once teams reached the top of the board, they rarely, very rarely, left it. This could change everything, it could seal the season for all they knew. Fate was cruel, he decided. But he tried to take comfort in the fact that Rose probably felt the same way as him.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Scorpius turned his attention to William who was standing just by him and who seemed to be finishing up his warm up.

"All set Scorp?" he asked grinning, noticing his stare.

Scorpius nodded, trying to look confidant.

"Of course, you too?" he asked.

William scoffed, "Definitely. I'm ready to break some bones. The Cannons and Keitch shan't have the satisfaction of winning today!" he called out.

"Here here!" Colin called eagerly from across the locker room while the other guys murmured in agreement.

William grinned again cheekily

"Don't try anything too extreme Will." Scorpius warned.

"I know I know. It was a joke! Well... kinda" William grabbed his broom and bat and sat down beside Scorpius. "I just really don't want to see Andrew's famous smirk of satisfaction. Winds me up."

"He probably only does it to wind you up." Scorpius pointed out.

"Yea I know." came his reply.

"I'm not saying you can't be competitive, it's just that we have to be careful, since there's bad blood and everything, people are going to scrutinize a lot more. We don't want to be accused of anything. Especially with you, I mean we all know how rough you to play to begin with." he stressed.

"Gosh, man you sound like my mum!" Will widened his eyes.

"Someone has to take care of you." he chuckled in reply.

Will laughed and clapped him on the back and sighed.

"You're a good player Scorp. I know it's been tough adjusting to a new partner, learning the ropes of the big league. I haven't gone soft I reckon, throwing new stuff at you all the time. I bet you think that you still can't trust me right? Ahahaha, don't deny it! I was a newbie once and not that too long ago either. So I can still remember very clearly my orientation into the team and how I thought that I'd never be able to read my partner, never be able to work with him as a pair. But you know what? What I learnt from that was that the only thing I could predict about him, was his unpredictability. And eventually you'll learn that about me Scorp. I've become a lot like him actually.

If you haven't already noticed, I like to take risks but I take different ones for different situations. It seems all random and that makes it almost unnoticeable but there is actually a pattern to my flying. And once you read that, you understand it, it'll become very clear to you. And you can them respond appropriately. It's like how I figured out your style very early on in our practices together. Very trademark and distinctive flying. You like low dips, spins and circle sweeps. But you see if I can pick that up, so can every one else. That's why I kept throwing new ideas and styles at you. So that you could pick up new moves, change your style a little. So that each match, you bring something different that people don't expect. So this match, bring something different, something unique. I know you and the Cannons' new beater, Weasley wasn't it? You two played together in Hogwarts. But don't take familiarity for granted. She's probably learnt a thing or two while you weren't looking. Having said that though, underneath that all, I still bet that she's retained some of her old style. So watch out for that. But again, that means that you're vulnerable because she'll try and do the same with you. Don't let her read you like an open book. Stay on your toes.

As for Keitch, he's a tough cookie. But a fairly predictable style. He likes to hit fake shots, gets behind you and hits you from there. He's all about breaking you down, mentally. Messing with you're head. Which trust me, he's dangerously good at. And not just on the field. But anyway, he'll make some faces, smirk. Don't let it get to you. Like you said so yourself, he does it to purposely wind you up. Whatever happens, don't show him, you're cracking because it'll only encourage him. I think we have a good chance of taking this, we just have to stand our ground."

The sudden stream of mentor advice from William hit Scorpius like a tidal wave but he tried his best to absorb everything that he was saying. Finally hearing him give an explanation for how he had trained him, keeping him on the edge all the time was especially comforting, it made Scorpius realise that all this time William wasn't out to get him or give him a hard time, it was ultimately to help him along and to give him an edge. And he was right, about picking up new moves. After being exposed to so many new methods and tricks in practice, Scorpius had noticed himself incorporating them more and more into his style of flying. Maybe he didn't notice before because nobody had told him. Rose, who had been the one person who had flown with him regularly, hadn't seen him fly really, not post Hogwarts. So she wouldn't have been able to comment on the change either. But boy, she could be in for a surprise today then. He could be in for one too. Rose might have become a master mind manipulator like Keitch. That would be a scary thought, double the trouble really. It was good to hear from William what to expect from Keitch though, at least he wouldn't be so unnerved when he tried anything on him.

"Thanks Will, I feel a lot better now." he smiled a little.

"I probably should have told you this earlier then huh?" William looked a little worried.

Scorpius shook his head, "Nah, wouldn't have made that much of a difference."

"Good." William nodded, relieved. "I'm very proud of how far you've come. Not just as a mentor, fellow beater or whatever you wanna call it, but just as a buddy, I'm happy for you. Like, I said, you're a good player. Not that you need me to keep telling you that. Even when you first came here, Coach Wood said you'd go far."

"Thanks, I know but it means even more coming from you. You've have been a great mentor though. And speaking of buddies, can... can I call you a friend? Cos I think I'd like to. You're kinda scary sometimes but great all the same" Scorpius beamed.

William laughed, "Yea, I tend to have that effect on people. I think I'd like to call you a friend too Scorp." clapping him on the back again.

Scorpius smirked a little. It seemed like the two of them had finally in a strange way broken through to each other.

After a pause Will pulled away though, "But... I'm not that bad am I?"

"No... the scary front is a facade. You should let people see more to this side of you. Prove that you're human for a change. Everyone else thinks that you're some human machine, out to get his enemy's blood. But in fact you never really want anyone to get hurt do you?" he encouraged.

"Well that depends." he teased. "Nah, I mean you're right, the objective is to have fun. It's a game. But it's also our job. So I admit I get carried away sometimes. So people think that's me 24/7. But honestly Scorp, how could I afford to act like I'm human? Then the other teams wouldn't be afraid of me" he shook his head as if stating the obvious.

Scorpius shook his head in exasperation. In the time in which they had gotten to know each other, Scorpius had realised that while he was still a formidable player on field and he still had fits of rage that made the other teams' beaters flee at the sight of him, William could be a pretty funny and easy going guy when he wasn't in uniform. It was pretty great just hanging out with him. Now that he could officially call him a friend, Scorpius felt proud to know someone as brave, aggressive but still deep down, as good hearted as him. If only he could have told Rose about this new stage in his relationship with Will. After all, she had been the one so worried for him when he had given her his first impressions about Will. She would have been pleased with these developments. She might even have wanted to meet him. Scorpius sighed in frustration at how everything reminded him about her.

"Now" William suddenly stood up and helped Scorpius up too. "Enough, compliments eh? Let's knock these Cannons dead!"

"Yea!" came the cheers from the others.

As if sensing their anticipation, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Guys! Time to get going!" came Adrianna's voice.

"Well you heard her lads! Let's go"

Jonathan led the way as they marched out of the locker room followed swiftly by Victor and Colin. William hung back for a while, waiting as Scorpius picked up his things to go. As he grabbed his bat, he caught sight of the small heart and within it the letters R and S still carved into the handle of his bat. Scorpius stroked it for a moment. The had faded a little, the edges not quite as sharp and prominent against the wood as before. But they were still there. He hadn't had the heart to get a new bat, because he had had his for so long, even though the initials on it tormented him every time he saw them. They reminded him far too much of those initials, on the willow tree. But unlike that time under that beautiful tree where Scorpius had carved the majority of their handiwork, this engraving was purely done by Rose. With her wand. This little "dent" in the wood was one of the few tangible things that directly held him back to her. He thanked Merlin that his hand gripping the bat would cover the carving when he was playing.

"Scorpius?" William was staring at him expectantly.

Scorpius nodded and together, they hurried out of the locker room, shutting the door behind them. They were joined by the rest of the team who had been waiting for them just outside. The girls were there too, Adrianna, Casey and Kristine. They smiled expectantly at Scorpius and William. As if sensing they were ready, the team began to set off towards the stadium. The one thing that Scorpius could feel comfortable about at the moment was that they were playing on home ground. But then of course it would be so much more embarrassing if they lost...

"You ok Scorp?" Adrianna had come up beside him out of nowhere.

Scorpius gave her a nervous smile. As always, her sense of timing was impeccable. He had leaned a thing or two about Adrianna over this year with her. She was even nicer in person than on the television. Or as people made her out to be. She was like the mother figure of the group, always warm and supporting and always could sense if something was wrong. She would never push you to tell her what was wrong, rather she would always try and be the person there for you if you needed to talk. A listener of some sorts. She hardly got angry or upset with anyone and if she was, she always tried to talk things out reasonably. She was forthcoming, honest, and friendly. Scorpius could still remember his first practice with the Falcons when she had been the first to introduce herself and instantly, her genuine sweet nature had made him feel well... starstruck but also more comfortable. In short, she was a great friend.

Thinking it over, he wasn't sure if anyone could ever dislike someone like Adrianna Green. Every time she cheered him up about something, whether about a match or his trouble at training, he always wanted to give her this huge hug to say how grateful he was to her. For being there for him. But in a way, he knew that he didn't have to. Because it was like she knew, like a sixth sense. And he wasn't the only one who felt that way about her. Almost the whole team saw Adrianna as their counsellor and shoulder to cry on. Scorpius often wondered how she had the patience to swallow everyone else's problems without never seeming to have any of her own. All he knew was, that he was grateful that she could.

"Usual nerves." he replied.

Adrianna rubbed his shoulder gently.

"You'll be great. We all believe in you. Will too." she insisted.

Scorpius laughed, recalling the pep talk he had just had with him. "Yea I know. Thanks Ad. You'll be great too."

She gave him a polite smile before murmuring, "Thanks, let's hope so."

"I know so! I bet you'll score at least 15 goals today Ad."

"Prepared to put the money where you're mouth is?" she challenged playfully

"Against what?"

"I bet at least 20 goals on my part."

Scorpius frowned. "I'm not betting against that."

"Why not?"

"Cos, you're probably going to score over 20 goals."

She laughed. "Good luck Scorp."

"You too."

With that she fell behind him once more, striking up conversation with Kristine. As they reached the entrance of the team headquarters, their small little band collectively took a breath before stepping confidently out of the air conditioned quarters and into the sunlight. The stadium was still a while away but Scorpius could hear the roar of the crowd. The sound made his heart pound and the blood rush to his head. A they continued to approach the massive structure that was looming before them, Scorpius', hands began to grip his bat and broom even tighter than usual. He felt like digging his nails into the wood to relieve the tension but restrained himself. As they passed through the gates of stadium, the cheers of the crowd got louder and louder, intensified within the enclosed space. The enthusiasm that always flowed from the spectators never failed to get Scorpius in the mood for a match. It was like Hogwarts except 10 times bigger. The stadium was clearly divided into two varying sides. The Falcons fans were on the right, their faces painted grey and white, waving banners, merchandise, chanting Falcon songs and shouting. The Cannons fans were clearly on the left, distinguished by the ever recognizable bright orange and tints of yellow. Upon noticing that their players had just arrived, the crowd on the left burst into hoots and cheers, there was whistling too. Scorpius and his other teammates turned to acknowledge their supporters and smiled, waving at them. On the other side of the pitch, Scorpius caught a glance at the Cannons who had arrived before them, already mingling with their supporters.

After shaking a few hands and taking some pictures with his fans, Scorpius and his teammates were summoned by Coach Wood for their customary speech. Walking away from the fans, Scorpius shook his head in disbelief. At the start of the season, nobody had really cared who he was. Now, every young girl wanted a photograph with him. And every young male Quidditch fan wanted his autograph. Even back home in Falmouth, the fame was getting a lot more widespread. He couldn't even head to Tim's bar without people wanting some sort of souvenir or at least pointing him out. Rose had once remarked to him, the first time it had happened that he should have grown a mustache. Somehow her idea hadn't been very appealing. He didn't dislike the fame really, it was frankly flattering. It wasn't like people were intrusive either. They usually left him alone once they got their memorabilia or once he answered their questions. Nor did the Daily Prophet hound him like it did some Quidditch players. Maybe it was because he was still up and coming and he was relatively inconspicuous. He wasn't controversial like Will. It just felt very strange to be recognised by people he'd never met before. Thankfully, his friends like Leo and Albus and close neighbors like Muriel and Eddie still treated him like anyone else. Just like a guy. And until recently, so had Rose. But Scorpius knew those days were well over. In fact, as the days went by, he was beginning to wonder if Rose had been serious, about hoping that they'd be friends again. True he might be being unfair, she might need more time. He couldn't just jump to conclusions. But currently, he had to admit that the prospects of them even being acquaintances looked grim.

As they gathered about Wood for their briefing, out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius saw Ragmar Dorkins giving a little talk of his own from across the pitch. Putting the thoughts out of his mind, Scorpius tried to focus on what Wood was telling them.

"Alright guys! Genera points. This is it. Chance to hit the top of the league table. No pressure. You guys know what to do. You can do it, I believe in you. You've worked hard, you've done your best. So today, give it your all. Push for that last stretch. Resilience guys is key. Will and Scorp, make sure that you keep them guessing. Don't play familiar cards. Especially you Scorpius. You have to keep Weasley on her toes. Don't let her read you. Yea? Oh and Will, I know this is Keitch we're dealing with and he can get on your nerves but I don't want to see any blood. Clear? Well maybe a little blood... No I'm kidding, come on stop laughing and focus. Ad, I want you to keep the attacking strong, but don't compromise defense. I want someone holding back alright. Colin can you do that? Victor move forward with her. Remember sharp and quick passes. back and forth, back and forth. Keep it neat. Kristine, keep your eyes on that snitch. It's the most important thing in your life. You hear? Take risks, don't be afraid. For keeper today let's go with John. Casey I'll sub you in for Victor later? Great. Alright guys that's all I have to say. The rest, it's in your hands. So if you really want to prove to Keitch he made a mistake leaving us, that we're the best team to be with, now would be a good a time as any. Go blow his mind. Blow all of their minds! Ready?" Oliver called.

"Ready!" They all responded. Scorpius loved the way, Oliver Wood could give each team member the appropriate advice so succinctly. He seemed to be echoing Will's words about Rose. Scorpius knew what he had to do.

"Come on guys!" Adrianna called.

Everyone joined hands quickly and drew a deep breath. Sensing everyone about him, they took a pause before shouting out playfully, "Let us win, but if we cannot win, let us break a few heads!"

Oliver chuckled, "That's my team. Now get out there!"

With that he turned his back to them to take his place. Casey smiled at her fellow players encouragingly and pumped her fists in the air, cheering before she too took her place at the bench with their coach. Scorpius turned to watch her and as she sat down, he caught her eye for a moment. She mouthed typically optimistic "Casey" good luck to him. Scorpius winked playfully before he turned to face the pitch. The rest of the team had mounted their brooms. William was right beside him, gripping his bat confidently. Scorpius nodded at him.

He smiled. "Ready... friend?"

Scorpius laughed. "Ready. But you can just call me Scorp... friend."

William chuckled again before the two of them kicked off the ground and launched themselves into the sky. They were joined shortly by the rest of their teammates. Quickly, Scorpius flew over to the beater starting position alongside William. Looking across the pitch, his heart stopped for a moment as he caught sight of her. Her hair done back in a formal ponytail, her brown eyes shining with anticipation, her hands gripped round her bat and broom respectively and the Cannons uniform adorning her proudly, Rose looked poised for battle. Beside her, Scorpius caught his first head on view of Andrew Keitch. For a moment he sucked in his breath, studying him. Brown hair, amber eyes and a good build. Perfect to play as a beater, he considered him. Catching Scorpius' stare, Keitch gave him a playful wink. Scorpius immediately looked away uncomfortably but he still saw Keitch lean over and whisper something to Rose. She frowned at him, as if in disagreement and shook her head vigorously. Scorpius itched to know what they were talking about. Scorpius stared at Rose for a moment who turned away from Keitch and faced him. Noticing him, she made strong eye contact. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but was slightly pleased when she gave him a weak but nevertheless, a smile.

Just then the referee stepped onto the pitch holding the large box with the respective balls. The teams looked down at him expectantly as he called the two team captains to speak to each other briefly. After some routine instructions, Scorpius heard the voice of the commentator come on.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Falmouth stadium where the hosts the Falmouth Falcons prepare to take on the Chudley Cannons! Today's match is an important one with the chance for the Falcons to fly their way to the top of the league board and for the Cannons to gain crucial points against Puddlemere United. This truly is a spectacular battle of the giants. And with Andrew Keitch playing his former teammates for the first time, this is sure to be an eventful match. "

There was a huge roar of approval from the crowd. The commentator had just reinforced what had been on everyone's mind. The referee looked up at the players for a moment and raised his hand, the other gripping the box lid. After what seemed like an eternity, he blew his whistle and raised the lid simultaneously. The bludgers and the snitch flew up into the air while the quaffle was thrown and efficiently caught by Ad. Scorpius turned his attention away from her and focused on the bludgers. They were thus far out of his reach but he saw William flying forward towards their chasers, almost forming a defensive shield for them. Suddenly it became clear to Scorpius. It wasn't just a random movement by his partner which he usually seemed to interpret it as. In fact, he had seen Will do this before, moving with the chasers. It meant that Scorpius was to remember what he had been instructed to do the last time this happened. He had to hold the fort with John. Filling with a new boost of confidence as the truth of Will's words echoed in his ears, he flew back towards John who gave him a nod of recognition. Watching his partner on the other edge of the field, he basically grinned from ear to ear as he saw a flicker of pride flit across Will's face, duly noting Scorpius' movement, before they broke eye contact.

He could hardly enjoy his moment of finally working as a team with Will though, when suddenly he heard the familiar whirring noise of an approaching bludger. Looking up, he saw that the Cannons had the quaffle and were heading for John with alarming speed. In bid to distract their keeper, Rose had aimed a bludger straight for the goal hoops. Thinking fast, Scorpius dove down under John and swinging his bat, whacked it towards the oncoming chasers. Caught unaware, the Cannons chaser holding the quaffle veered out of the way but lost grip and it slipped from his hands. Scorpius held his breath for a moment but broke out into a smile as he saw Colin who had been hovering nearby in anticipation, make a clean dive to retrieve the ball. In the meantime, Will had spotted Scorpius' bludger and had aimed it straight at one of the other opponent chasers in a bid to distract them. Kristine suddenly zoomed past them with her opponent seeker, clearly in pursuit of the evasive snitch. The look of determination and concentration on her face said it all. Scorpius looked around cautiously, playing defensively, on the look out for the second bludger. Hearing the whirring noise right behind him, his heart leapt with fear. It sounded so close... He barely had enough time to whirl around and smack the bludger out of his way, let alone aim it at something strategic. Who had hit that? Didn't they know it was unsafe to aim bludgers directly behind players. It wasn't just about a foul. Someone could get hurt. Unthinking and glaring angrily at the direction from which it had come, Scorpius was met with the smirking face of Andrew Keitch. He playfully raised and waved his bat at Scorpius as if taunting him. Scorpius had the strongest urge to find that bludger again and smack it at his face. But remembering Will's warning, he quickly forced the anger out of his face and disengaged.

Turning, he heard a loud roar from the crowd and realised that Victor had scored. He felt Andrew zoom past him and purposely avoided eye contact. Lest he suddenly reach out and try and strangle that guy's neck. It wasn't just his dangerous shots, his whole attitude on the pitch oozed confidence and self absorption. He couldn't stand guys like that.

"That was a good shot that Victor scored." John commented, who had come up beside him.

"Yea too bad I didn't see it." Scorpius still seethed.

John shrugged. "You were busy."

"Dealing with a pain in the ass."

"But there's no denying he can play."

"Yea... whatever."

Almost an hour had gone by. The Falcons were playing well. Adrianna had already scored 18 goals with Victor close behind with 16. Colin, who was playing relatively defensive had squeezed in 8. Casey had just substituted Victor so she hadn't had her chance yet. The Cannons had managed to break through to John several times with a total of 20 goals. But it wasn't all that bad really. They were leading by a decent margin. But at the end of the day, it all came down to the snitch. If Kristine didn't catch it, they'd still lose by a long shot. William was keeping Andrew fairly occupied, hitting bludgers back and forth between them. Andrew had obviously decided that Scorpius wasn't quite as fun to rile up. While he was nervous for his partner, he couldn't say he wasn't relieved. It seemed like Rose and Scorpius had been lumped to handle each other. She hadn't given him too much grief, on the whole aiming more for the other players as opposed to trying to knock him off his broom. Scorpius too, had tried to stay out of her way. More or less.

William and Coach Wood's advice had not gone unheard by Scorpius though. He made sure he changed it up with her and was pleased when he noticed that her reactions to his newer movements were slower and less sure. He tried to avoid his trademark dives and circular curved movements. Instead he tried to stick to head on long shots and quick sharp turns. Rose too had picked up some new skills since they had played together. Despite all her complaints about the dive practices, she was employing what she had learnt fro them , calculated swoops, frequently in this match and she had improved tremendously. Physically, her shots were stronger and went further. But he could still sort of predict where she was coming from. For all the apprehension he had held earlier, he realised that he needn't have seriously been worried. Her style, compared to him, hadn't changed so dramatically. Keitch must have a different teaching style, he reflected. Probably wants her to build on what she already has, not learn new stuff. Well, that worked just fine for him.

Deflecting one of her oncoming bludgers now, Scorpius tried to study her. There was one major thing that was different about her though, playing wise. Her eyes, which once used to be the windows to her soul for him, a way for him to read every thought, seemed to have been closed off. Keitch had obviously helped her with that. You never knew what he was thinking. Her expression was unreadable, thought process untraceable. The only times where she showed her emotions was when she hesitated, or contemplated something. But the veil would lift for a couple of seconds before it rapidly fell once more. Just then the Cannons chasers came racing towards them, heading straight for their goal hoops. Adrianna and Casey were hot on their tail. Seizing her chance, Rose had immediately flown straight at the nearest bludger and taking her aim, had shot it straight at Adrianna's broom. Scorpius saw Rose swing her bat but it took him a while to understand what she was trying to do. He shouted out.

"Ad! Look out!"

Adrianna immediately looked up to see the bludger plummeting towards her. She tried to veer out of the way but her reaction came too late as the ball clipped part of the handle of her broom, spinning her out of control. Meanwhile, the rest of the players had also been distracted as the ball had flown right through the middle of the pack and in the confusion, Colin had managed to bump, the Cannons chaser, effectively stealing back the quaffle. Throwing it to Casey, she expertly sped away without hesitation, towards the now relatively unguarded goal hoops on the opposite end of the field. It was a great way to seize the moment.

But Scorpius was hardly focusing on that. Instead, gasping in horror, along with the rest of the crowd, he felt helpless as he saw his friend tumble towards the ground. He was too far away to reach her in time. Luckily he suddenly saw William, a few paces behind her, speed up instinctively at dive downwards in an attempt to help her with her landing. Most of the crowd were on their feet now, leaning down to see what had happened. William managed to grab hold of Adrianna's hand, who had been until this point, valiantly battling with her failing broom and she had skillfully managed to jump onto the broom with him, abandoning hers. Scorpius winced slightly as he saw her broom hit the earth and splinter into pieces. William quickly swooped down to the ground to help her dismount, before taking off into the sky once more.

"Adrianna Green has been knocked off her broom! Victor Trupher is substituting!" came the commentators call.

"Thank Merlin for Will." Scorpius breathed.

But now he turned his attention to the suddenly forlorn looking Rose who had watched the action from above. Her veil had lifted and he could clearly see the shock on her face. Her shot had been mis-angled, he understood. She hadn't meant it to hit Ad. But suddenly he was filled with a strange feeling. It suddenly didn't matter that this was Rose, it didn't matter if it had been an accident. She had just knocked Ad of her broom and he was angry.

The anger was something that he couldn't quite explain but it was boiling within him and he had to get it out. Ad was a good friend, he wouldn't have been able to bear it if Rose had seriously hurt her. As saw the the culprit bludger heading in his direction once more, he robotically seized all his strength and hurled it back towards Rose.

Rose saw the bludger and immediately flew out of the way, choosing not to retaliate. Scorpius hadn't planned for it to hit her anyway. The shot had just been his way of expressing his anger and letting her know that he was displeased. But as he caught her look as she turned to face him once more, he felt the anger slowly dispel his body. Her eyes were now transparent to him. Like she wanted him to know what she was thinking. Pain, guilt, regret. The feelings were brimming at her eyes. Like she openly recognised she had been wrong and was seeking... forgiveness. Then she stared him square on and mouthed a word to him. What was it? He'd never been good at reading mouths. And then he figured it out. She had mouthed, "sorry". Suddenly feeling ashamed of himself for the unnecessary shot at her, Scorpius hung his head in embarrassment.

"Scorp!" he heard Will's voice.

Andrew had seized Scorpius' distracted state to his advantage and the bludger came flying. Scorpius however was ready and was about to raise his bat to turn it back when suddenly he saw Rose out of the corner of his eye, fly right in front of him. Holding his position in shock, he didn't know quite what to do. Directly across from him, he could see the same confused look on Will's face. But he did nothing to stop her too. Then, as if in slow motion, Scorpius watched in bewilderment as she quickly whacked it out of his path and towards Victor. Coming out of his daze and reacting immediately, Will sped off to get the bludger out of the way.

Scorpius brought his arm down and frowned at Rose. Why had she done that? As if reading his thoughts, Keitch called across the field.

"What in Merlin's name Rose?"

Scorpius couldn't see her expression, her back was to him but he saw her shrug her shoulders. Casually she called back as if what she had done was the most natural thing in the world,

"Don't waste your time on the beaters. Aim for the real players."

Without turning to look at him, Rose then sped off towards Keitch.

Still sort of frozen, Scorpius couldn't get over what had just happened. Had that ever happened in Quidditch before? He wasn't sure. Maybe she had knocked it out of the way as another way, non vocal obviously, of apologising. Rose, for all her faults, would always try to make it up to someone when she knew she had been in the wrong. But he hadn't quite expected that sort of chivalrous behaviour from her today. Not on a professional turf where her every action would be questioned and inappropriate behaviour would have serious repercussions. But it just seemed to reassure him of something. Whatever Rose was going through, underneath it all, she was still the same person. The same good person. Who knew? Maybe she was already getting better? In that one line to Keitch, she had sounded calm and confident, much like the old Rose he had known for years.

As he was about to head back to the middle of the pitch to help out Will, Scorpius suddenly heard the roar of the crowd pick up and a moment later, the referee blew his final whistle. Glancing down, Scorpius saw Kristine standing on the ground, triumphantly gripping the snitch, holding it out for the crowd to see. Grinning, Scorpius smiled with satisfaction. They had won! He had gotten through this match in one piece without completely falling apart emotionally. Rose hadn't gotten in his head as many times as he had feared she would. Keitch had been kept out of his way thanks to Will and despite Ad's little mishap, the team had come through strongly. What a brilliant win! Straight to the top of the league too! Excitedly, he swooped back to the ground with his teammates who were already rushing to Kristine in happiness.

"What a splendid end to a great match! Kristine Dewsprout catching the snitch in a brilliantly executed dive! The Falcons clench this win 470 to 200, to fly their way straight to the top of the league! What a day for Coach Wood and his team! What a day!" came the commentator in equal excitement. The Falmouth crowd roared in approval.

Scorpius squeezed his way past his peers to envelope Kristine in a bear hug.

"Great job Kris! You were fantastic!"

Kristine hugged him back furiously, jumping up and down. Her face was flushed and her hair was sticky and matted but she looked thoroughly satisfied.

"Oh you too Scorp. All of you!" she turned to face the rest of the team.

"Yea Kris!" called the others who suddenly as if sensing each others' thoughts, lifted her up in the air.

"Wooo! Come on now, put me down!" she called and tried to wriggle free.

"We won!" called John.

"We won!" called the rest.

After several more kicks and threats from Kristine, they finally albeit reluctantly put her down and she hugged them once more.

Scorpius then turned his attention to Ad who was hurrying onto the pitch with Coach Wood. He was relieved to see she hadn't been hurt.

"Ad... I'm so sorry." he hung his head.

"Hey hey, you tried to warn me. Me being the grandmother that I was, didn't act fast enough. There was nothing you could have done. You know that right? No sweat." she grinned.

"I know but..." he protested.

She clucked her tongue. "No buts! I'm fine. Look at me. I need a couple of shots, that's all. Well I suppose I can't say the same for my broom but it was a blessing in disguise really. I did want a new one." she chuckled.

Scorpius shook his head at a jovial attitude but hugged her.

"You, were great by the way." she smiled.

"You too, though it's a pity I didn't make that bet with you after all. If I recall you scored 18 not quite 20 eh?" he joked.

She laughed. "Yea well, not meant to be then."

Just then William came up beside them, his face was beaming. Adrianna detached herself from Scorpius and faced him, her face full of gratitude.

"Thank Will, you can now call yourself a real lifesaver." she smiled at him.

Will shook his head.

"Well I couldn't let you fall could I?" he chuckled.

Adrianna said nothing but reached over to give him a hug of gratefulness. Will seemed a little taken aback at first but after a pause, he hugged her back.

"Thanks again." she murmured before hurrying to join the others.

"Good job today." Will turned to Scorpius.

"And to you." he nodded towards Ad and continued, "And for helping to keep Keitch out of my hair." he laughed.

Will laughed too, "It would be too cruel to expect you to handle him on your own you first time round. But next time..." his eyes darkened a little but Scorpius knew it was a joke.

"Thanks all the same."

"Well what did I tell you? You seemed to read me pretty well today didn't you? I was very impressed. Of course you shouldn't have aimed that bludger at Weasley, I know you were upset about Ad..."

"Yea, I know I know. It was an accident but I was a little mad." Scorpius admitted.

"Well just don't let it get to you too much. Or you get like me." Will sighed.

"Well you were relatively tame today, considering you handled Keitch."

"Yea well I decided to try and take your advice on board. Show the world I'm more human. Believe me it wasn't easy but sacrifices must be made..." he said solemnly.

"Shut up." Scorpius punched his shoulder.

"But what was up with Weasley later though? Why'd she knock that bludger out of the way for you? I'd have let it hit you if I were her. You'd have thought she was your girlfriend, trying to mummy you." he laughed.

Scorpius gulped a little nervously at this, none of the team, except Wood who had guessed it when Scorpius had told him about his partnership with Rose, knew that until recently, Rose and he had been walking out together. And honestly, he planned to keep it that way. It wasn't like he was ashamed of her or anything, but since they were no longer together, there simply wasn't the reason for anyone to know. Plus it would make things a lot more complicated between his team and him whenever they played the Cannons in the future. So he currently wasn't too keen to share his various theories regarding Rose's behaviour with Will.

"Don't know. Don't care though. Better for me." he commented.

"Ah well. All's well that ends well." Will shrugged comfortably.

Scorpius smiled in response.

Watching his team cheering and celebrating around him, seeing Coach Wood's ecstatic face, congratulating each of the players one by one, he felt a little hollow as he turned to see the slightly dejected looking Cannons nearby. Keitch still seemed to be in high spirits and was evidently giving the team along with their coach, a much needed morale boosting pep talk. Rose had was standing beside him, her head hung, looking a little disappointed. As if feeling her gaze on her once more, she looked up to see Scorpius. They still seemed to be completely in-tuned to him. She smiled at him a little, as if to say, "Good job" before turning back to her team. Usually he was never affected when they won a match and when later saw, post match, the losing team. But seeing Rose amongst them now, he felt almost a little guilty to have caused them this pain. He felt silly for thinking that, but it was true.

"Come on Scorp! Let's get outta here!" William called as the team started to get ready to leave. The crowd was beginning to file out of the stadium and the noise was slowly subsiding.

"Where we headed?" he asked.

"We all thought we'd head to Tim's to celebrate?" he suggested.

"Ok, I'm in!" Scorpius nodded and began to gather his things.

Running to catch up with the others, as they passed through the gates of the stadium, he turned one last time to catch a glimpse of the team behind them. They too were heading back to the team headquarters so that they could go to the Away team dressing rooms to freshen up and head back to Chudley. Scorpius suddenly frowned as he watched them. It wasn't their disappointed body language that was bothering him anymore, or their downcast expressions. No, he frowned because as he caught sight of Rose one last time, with Keitch walking right beside her, Keitch had surreptitiously and casually draped his hand over her shoulders as if in an attempt to draw her close to him. And Rose, as if she had been hit by a bolt of lightning, her face filled with a sudden fear intermixed with rage, had immediately and aggressively shoved him away.


End file.
